Seven women's track team members learned via e-mail from theircoach, Brenda Cash, that they were being evicted from theirapartments at Carpenter Complex this week.
Some teammates said they believe they are being moved out soathletes from more publicized sports can move in.
"They are just trying to make room for football and basketballplayers," one track member, who wished to remain anonymous,said.
The team said the e-mail they received from Cash said theteammates had to move out of Carpenter and into Richardson Towersby the start of the fall semester.
The e-mail written by Cash to her players said, "Hello Ladies,Well it looks like Carpenter Complex is out for all athletes exceptfootball, basketball and volleyball," Cash wrote. "So it looks likeyou will be placed back into Richardson Towers or you will need tolook for off-campus housing."
Cash told the team members that Lynn Parkes, associate directorof athletic women's sports, was still working on the situation, butnot to count on anything being changed.
"Ms. Parkes told me today that she is still working with GlendaBarton (residence life office coordinator) to look at the numbersand if space is available maybe seniors and fifth-year's couldstay," Cash wrote. "But I say, DON"T COUNT ON IT!! I'll let youknow if anything else changes, however if I were you I'd startmaking other plans. Sorry
:-( ! Coach C."
One source said it was Parkes's decision to move the womenout.
"From what I was told, Residence Life had nothing to do with it.It was Lynn Parkes that made the decision," the team membersaid.
Cash's e-mail came on the heels of a letter Barton wrote toParkes instructing her to tell Cash her team would have to moveout. And that Lisa- Marie Hyman, Chanel Dunn, CherisheHollingsworth, Keenan Gibson, Monique Nelson, Sheena Ohlig and SueAnn Bowen would be moved from Carpenter Complex to rooms being heldfor them in Richardson Towers.
Barton told Parkes for what seemed to be at least the secondtime that Cash's team would not be allowed to stay at CarpenterComplex.
"I received the list from Brenda Cash and see that you werecopied on the e-mail, with the list of athletes for Fall (2003),"Barton wrote. "As we have discussed earlier, we do not have spacesfor track in Carpenter. We have held spaces in Richardson Towersfor these athletes and will be placing them in rooms that have beenheld in Richardson Towers."
When reached for comment, Cash said she did not want to step onanyone's toes by commenting too early on the situation, but fromwhat her players have been saying it appears The U of M may beavoiding the issue.
Cash said that some of her athletes told her they tried toschedule an appointment with Athletic Director R.C. Johnson todiscuss being bumped out of their dorms in favor of football,basketball and volleyball players.
One track member said they did indeed try to meet with Johnsonto discuss the move, but they were refused an appointment.
"We have attempted to see R.C. Johnson twice," the source said."The first time (June 19) we were told he was out to lunch and hewouldn't be back the next day. Two of us went (June 23) and hissecretary refused to schedule appointments for us."
One team member said she can not believe The University istrying to move out four seniors and three juniors over the age of20 to make way for incoming freshman.
"There are only seven of us," a source said. "I don't see whythey want to move us out. What is that going to solve?"
Another reason Cash's team had to move out was so that TheUniversity of Memphis could remain in compliance with NCAAregulations.
The regulations state that student-athletes cannot make up morethe 49 percent of the dorm's residents as to avoid creating"athletic dorms" which were abolished about nine years ago.
"We've gone in and identified bed space for scholarship athletesin several buildings to make sure we don't go over the 49 percentrule," Danny Armitage, associate dean of students said. "If twonon-athletes move out then we have to move out two athletes."
Armitage said he, personally, does not decide where to moveathletes.
"The Athletic Department tells us where they want us to put theteams and we put them there," Armitage said. "No one has beensingled out, we were told the teams have to go. The track team hasnot been singled out."
