4 16 14 by The Daily Helmsman

DAILY HELMSMAN Wednesday Wedne 4.16.14

The

Vol. 81 No. 101

Independent Student Newspaper of the University of Memphis

U of M model promotes inner beauty

Baracades block cavity on Patterson

Martin leaves UT hanging and Memphis fans should take note

www.dailyhelmsman.com

Campus workers regroup after losing jobs

photo By BrANDoN CArADINe | StAFF

A campus worker mows grass in a planter in front of the Michael D. Rose Theatre Lecture Hall.

By Joey Kachel

news@dailyhelmsman.com Eighteen Physical Plant employees will have to find new jobs in the coming months, but they may not have to look far. As part of a campus-wide restructuring initiative to bal-

ance the University’s budget and close the $20 million gap, the administration announced plans to cut positions from departments across campus, including the Physical Plant. Dean Hansen is an assistant vice president of the Physical Plant. He and his team were instrumental in coming up with

the new structure of the Physical Plant. Hansen believes that those losing their jobs should have little problem coming back. “With very few exceptions, these employees will be rehired into positions of similar pay and responsibility,” Hansen said. “At the end of the day, I believe there will be very few RIF employees

within Physical Plant who will not be able to find a home in the new organization.” The Physical Plant, which carries out the day-to-day maintenance of the University, is being restructured and will be losing 46 positions, 18 of which are currently staffed. This is part of an ongoing

effort by the University to attempt to reorganize itself in order to become more efficient. The positions being lost are being offset by the positions being created as a part of this reorganization. In the Physical Plant, 16 new positions will be created, and those

see JOBS on page 4

Professor chases weather outside of the classroom By J.T. Mullen

news@dailyhelmsman.com

Burnette

While observing a tornado in El Reno, Okla., on May 31, 2013, Dr. Dorian Burnette had ever ything timed per-

fectly to keep a safe distance from the storm—but things did not go as planned. As Burnette, who was alone on the chase, observed the tornado, he decided it was in his best interest to move from his location. This is when the tornado not only changed directions but also grew larger and increased in speed, which is very unusual for a tornado to do simultaneously. “In strict meteorology terms, I knew this was a possibility, but

The Daily Helmsman is a “designated public forum.” Students have authority to make all content decisions without censorship or advance approval. The Daily Helmsman is pleased to make a maximum of 10 copies of each issue available to a reader for free. Additional copies are $1. Partial printing and distribution costs are provided by an allocation from the Student Activity Fee.

normally tornados take off in the same direction of the thunderstorm,” Burnette said. “I had not been exposed to this before and did not expect it to happen.” Another dangerous feature was that the tornado was “rain wrapped,” making it barely visible. As he moved south, he became caught in the outer circulation of the storm. “My ears popped for the very first time because the pressure was lowering,” he said. “It was also the first time debris flew across the roadway

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in front of me.” Burnette was able to get to a safe location, out of the pathway of the storm, but it was nonetheless a close call. “It’s not an encounter I’m actually proud of,” he said. “It makes for an interesting story I guess, but that’s not what I’m out there for. I’m out there to document, educate and report back to the National Weather Service what I see.” Storm chasing is an aspect of Burnette’s field that he has enjoyed Sports

doing since he began in 1997 as an undergraduate at Mississippi State University, while interning at NBC affiliate News Channel 3 in Wichita, Kan. Mark Bogner, then director of the severe storms intercept project at Kansas University first introduced Burnette to storm chasing. “As you first start out, go storm chasing with someone who has been doing it for a while so you can learn the ropes,” Burnette said. “Then you

see WEATHER on page 7 7

2 • Wednesday, April 16, 2014

The

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D AILY

H ELMSMAN Volume 81 Number 101

Editor-in-Chief L. Taylor Smith Managing Editor Joshua Cannon Design Editors Hannah Verret Taylor Grace Harrison Lingo Sports Editor Hunter Field General Manager Candy Justice

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The University of Memphis

Wednesday, April 16, 2014 • 3

U of M model promotes inner beauty By Amber Williams

news@dailyhelmsman.com Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and for University of Memphis student Akevia Allen, luckily, someone saw it in her. While she was attending Frayser High School, one of the teachers urged Allen to go to a casting call held at the school for a fashion show. It was at that casting call that Allen made the decision to pursue professional modeling at only 16 years old. Now 19 years old, she manages scheduled shoots and goes to school full-time. “I try to balance my dreams and my reality,” Allen admitted. Although she has obtained

local recognition, she still seeks a degree in psychology. “You have to have something to fall back on,” Allen said. After she graduates, Allen plans on fully devoting her time to her modeling career, which she described as a personal outlet. “(When I’m modeling), I’m expressing myself—whatever emotion I’m feeling that week. If I’m happy, frustrated, sad or mad, I let it all out,” she said. Although she said that being a model makes her happy and more confident, she has felt the personal stress that comes with this world. “When you’re not size 0, it puts on the pressure. I have felt the need to change my appearance to fit others’ views. I’ve

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felt the need to compromise my craft,” she stated. Now, she focuses on her own opinion when modeling rather than the ones of others. “Be your own thing instead of what others tell you to be. Being yourself is inevitable. Do you. Everything else will come eventually,” Allen said. She prides herself in being versatile. Local photographer, Gregory Lopez has photographed Allen numerous times. “I try to bring out what is good in a model,” Lopez said. He said that when he shoots a model, he is learning something new about her. And he, like Allen, believes that beauty is in everything and everyone. “I never go, ‘that model is too big, that model is too short, or that model is too dark.’ I’ll admit that it’s harder to find (beauty) in some rather than others,” he continued. But when it came to Allen, he

said that he noticed her beauty right on. “It’s more than a physical appearance with her. It’s her personality. It actually comes out of her appearance.” He pushed Allen toward glamour modeling even though she was accustomed to fashion modeling. Allen is 5’10” and, according to Lopez, fits the standards of a good fashion model. “Fashion (modeling) is about selling the product (whereas) Glamour is more about you,” Lopez said. According to him, he’s seen models like Allen blossom. “I’ve seen models become mainstream and get published or get agents.” Lopez said. “(Allen) has the potential to do whatever she wants to do in this business.” Allen has also been featured in music videos. Local videographer, Isaiah Conley, has worked with Allen a few times.

“I try my best to give models guidance, but I really can’t take much credit for what they’re doing,” Conley said. Of the models he’s shot, Conley called Allen one of the greats. “Confidence can be a doubleedged sword. You can’t be so into yourself that you will not listen to the director. That’s not her at all. She’s a true talent and works hard,” he added. He filmed Allen for the music video “At the House” by Young Dolph. It appeared on MTV in 2013. Allen said she wants young girls to realize that they don’t have to get half naked in order to gain recognition. According to her, it might take longer to get it, but you’ll be more respected. “When you don’t have to dress a certain way, or act a certain way and people can still see the good in you, that’s what beauty is,” Allen said.

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Akevia Allen, a 19-year-old psychology major, decided to become a model in high school.

4 • Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Jobs

Page 1

who will be losing their jobs can reapply for these new positions and will be given first priority if they do, provided they meet the minimum requirements of the new positions. In the Physical Plant, the new positions being created mean that there are now 39 positions that need to be filled before June 30. Despite the cuts, Hansen said the quality of campus service will not decline. He believes the quality of service provided by the Physical Plant will increase. “Bottom line, we cut Physical Plant’s operating budget by 12 percent, with a nine percent cut in positions, but only negatively impacted one to two percent of our employees,” Hansen said. “Combine that with no negative impact to our mission, and I consider that a win.” Linda Bonnin, vice president for Communications, Public Relations and Marketing, believes the restructuring will enable the University to better serve its students. “The University is in the midst of creating new positions as part of its realignment,” Bonnin said. “We are reinvesting resources in our priorities, which are teaching and research, to meet the evolving needs of our students. In doing so, we expect the net loss of jobs to be about 20.” The Physical Plant and extended programs weren’t the only University departments affected by the cut. Emails were sent out to employees in departments across campus. The Business and Finance, Communications and Marketing, athletics, develop-

www.dailyhelmsman.com ment, information technology and Academic Affairs departments will all be losing positions over the coming months. The final list of job cuts and created positions is still being finalized, but the most current numbers are that 101 positions across campus will be eliminated, while 63 will be created. The University is at the start of an 18-month process to balance its budget by moving the school’s financial model over to an incentive-based one that funds colleges based on how well they perform their jobs. In conjunction with these cuts, the University will be looking at other money-saving initiatives, such as reducing energy costs— both for financial and environmental reasons. Budgets have also been slashed—the Division of Business and Finance, the parent division of the Physical Plant, had its budget cut by $2.6 million. Overall, the University’s revenue is dependent on student enrollment and retention and appropriations from the state. Vice President for Business and Finance David Zettergren believes that things might be looking up for the University. “We are seeing very positive trends in applications for the fall and also have several efforts to increase retention that we think we also trend positively,” Zettergren said. Provost David Rudd is confident that these cuts and changes will help alleviate some of the University’s budget problems. “The single greatest challenge for our students is financial, and we are committed to improving efficiency and containing tuition and fee costs,” Rudd said.

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Study finds signs of brain changes in pot smokers By Malcolm Ritter AP Science Writer

NEW YORK — A small study of casual marijuana smokers has turned up evidence of changes in the brain, a possible sign of trouble ahead, researchers say. The young adults who volunteered for the study were not dependent on pot, nor did they show any marijuana-related problems. “What we think we are seeing here is a very early indication of what becomes a problem later on with prolonged use,” things like lack of focus and impaired judgment, said Dr. Hans Breiter, a study author. Longer-term studies will be needed to see if such brain changes cause any symptoms over time, said Breiter, of the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital. Previous studies have shown mixed results in looking for brain changes from marijuana use, perhaps because of differences in the techniques

used, he and others noted in Wednesday’s issue of the Journal of Neurosciences. The study is among the first to focus on possible brain effects in recreational pot smokers, said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The federal agency helped pay for the work. She called the work important but preliminary. The 20 pot users in the study, ages 18 to 25, said they smoked marijuana an average of about four days a week, for an average total of about 11 joints. Half of them smoked fewer than six joints a week. Researchers scanned their brains and compared the results to those of 20 non-users who were matched for age, sex and other traits. The results showed differences in two brain areas associated with emotion and motivation — the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens. Users showed higher density than non-users, as well as differences in shape of those areas. Both differences were more pronounced in those

who reported smoking more marijuana. Volkow said larger studies are needed to explore whether casual to moderate marijuana use really does cause anatomical brain changes, and if so, whether that leads to any impairment. The current work doesn’t determine whether casual to moderate marijuana use is harmful to the brain, she said. Murat Yucel of Monash University in Australia, who has studied the brains of marijuana users but didn’t participate in the new study, said in an email that the new results suggest “the effects of marijuana can occur much earlier than previously thought.” Some of the effect may depend on a person’s age when marijuana use starts, he said. Another brain researcher, Krista Lisdahl of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, said her own work has found similar results. “I think the clear message is we see brain alterations before you develop dependence,” she said.

The University of Memphis

Wednesday, April 16, 2014 • 5

White supremacist in ‘suicide prevention smock’ when charged By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Los Angeles Times

OLATHE, Kan. — A self-styled white supremacist from Missouri appeared by video in a packed courtroom Tuesday and was charged with capital murder in the killings of three people outside two Jewish facilities. Frazier Glenn Cross Jr., 73, was charged with one count of capital murder and one count of premeditated first-degree murder in connection with the Sunday shooting at a Jewish Community Center and nearby Jewish retirement home. If Cross is convicted of capital murder, under Kansas law, he could face the death penalty. Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said he had not decided Tuesday whether to seek the death penalty, saying it was too early. Bearded and looking haggard, Cross appeared before Judge Daniel Vokins in Johnson County District Court wearing a dark green uniform unlike the traditional black and white stripes worn by other inmates. Cross had been issued a special uniform, called a “suicide prevention smock,” that’s sleeveless and secured at the sides with Velcro, according to a spokesman for the Johnson County Jail. Cross was issued the uniform based on the nature of his case, the spokesman

DAVID eULItt | KANSAS CIty StAr

Frazier Glenn Cross, Jr., also known as F. Glenn Miller, appears at his arraignment on capital murder and first-degree murder charges in New Century, Kan., on Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Miller is charged with three shooting deaths at Jewish locations in Overland Park on Sunday, April 13th. With him is Michelle Durrett, attorney with the public defender’s office. said. The accused did not speak much Tuesday. When he did, it was in a gruff voice, staring out with a slight scowl. The judge asked if Cross wanted to hire an attorney.

“I don’t have the money,” he said. Cross was being held on $10 million bond Tuesday. His next court hearing is scheduled for April 24. Michael McCulloch, public defender for the 10th Judicial District, told the

judge he was appearing for Cross in lieu of the lawyer who would be assigned to represent him from the Kansas Death Penalty Defense Unit. Attorney Ronald Evans leads the unit, which is based in Topeka and handles capital cases.

Cross did not enter a plea Tuesday; that will happen at a later hearing. McCulloch left court Tuesday without comment, as did prosecutors. No survivors of the shooting or victims’ relatives appeared to have attended the hearing. The capital murder charge filed against Cross is related to the fatal shooting of Will Corporon, 69, and his grandson Reat Underwood, 14, in rapid succession. The premeditated murder count relates to the shooting of Terri LaManno, 53, soon after outside the nearby Village Shalom retirement home. Cross has a four-decade career of supporting white supremacist causes. He served as the former grand dragon of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and at one point threatened to assassinate the founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, whom he considered a “racial enemy.” He ran for political office from his home in the southern Missouri farm town of Aurora based on a white supremacist platform, and aired his view to friends and neighbors. Kansas does not have a state hate crime law. Federal prosecutors have said they are still investigating potential federal hate crime charges against Cross, and have enough evidence to file them. Although none of the shooting victims was Jewish, prosecutors said the issue in bringing hate crime charges is the suspect’s intent, not whether he achieved his goal.

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Baracades block cavity on Patterson 6 • Wednesday, April 16, 2014

www.dailyhelmsman.com

photo By roBBIe porter | StAFF

Construction workers dig a 16-foot hole to fix the sewage issues that created a cavity on Patterson Street.

By Patrick Lantrip

news@dailyhelmsman.com A hole at the corner of Patterson Street and Mynders Avenue recently caused The University of Memphis’ Police Services to raise barriers at the intersection to keep cars and pedestrians safe. “On April 11, crews televised

and dye tested to verify if it was a sewer related issue,” Matoiri Spencer of the Public Works Division of the City of Memphis said. “After confirming that it was a sewer issue, we had the area located for other utilities, which was completed on April 14. In the meantime, a steel plate was placed over it to secure and prevent hazard until repairs could be initiated. It rained Monday, so

our repairs began Tuesday.” Repairs are scheduled to be finished by April 16, assuming they go as scheduled as the crews work to stabilize the sinkhole. Although stories about sinkholes seem to be prevalent such as the one that claimed eight cars at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., the blanket term does not necessarily apply to this particular incident.

Tigers’ Ta es “No, I haven’t had any bad experiences.”

Josh Norris, Information Systems Management freshman

“Retail. Some people think they are over you when they not, just because of their title.” Lauren Walton, Exercise Sports Science freshman

“I worked at Two Men and a Truck. It was awful. They didn’t pay me near what the work deserved, and I would not go back or recommend it to anybody.” Denver Hall, Business Management sophomore

“In P ubl i c Work s Environmental, we prefer not to classify them as sinkholes, but as ‘cavities’ caused by a defect in a sewer mainline that allows soil to enter the pipe, thus creating a cavity,” Spencer said. “They are more common in the older part of the city where the infrastructure is older and subject to more age related defects. When you have any kind of breach to

the underground pipe network, a number of things occur such as cave-ins, sinkholes and/or cavities.” While some have dubbed Florida the “sinkhole capital of the United States,” sinkholes are common in many Southeastern states, including Tennessee, due to the composition of their subterranean rock deposits.

What has been your worst work experience? By Brandon Caradine

“Gamestop, not getting a lot of hours. The hours were all messed up.”

Michael Ward, Criminal Justice freshman

“Scooping yogurt at TCBY, just minimum wage.”

Ben Adcock, Undecided sophomore

The University of Memphis

Wednesday, April 16, 2014 • 7

Sports

Martin leaves UT hanging and Memphis fans should take note By Hunter Field

sports@dailyhelmsman.com The University of California announced Tuesday morning that Cuonzo Martin, the former head coach at the University of Te n n e s s e e , had been named the new men’s basketball head coach at Cal. The move came as a shock to Sports Editor many Vols fans. Why would Martin leave after a run to the Sweet 16? Why would he leave the $500,000 raise Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart offered him on the table? The irony is the same fans who are surprised by Martin leav-

Weather Page 1

can go out on your own once you learned what not to do, because there are a lot of ways you can get yourself into trouble.” Growing up in Kansas, Burnette always had a passion for meteorology. “Growing up in Kansas, I got exposed to a lot of severe weather from all sides,” he said. “The only

ing were the same ones calling for his head the past two seasons. They’re the same fans who started a petition to bring back former head coach Bruce Pearl and fire Martin. It’s eerily similar to a situation that hits a lot closer to home in Memphis. Sure, fans haven’t started any petitions to fire Josh Pastner, but they have tried to get the hashtag trending. I’m not saying fans should be worried because Pastner isn’t going anywhere right now, but he might bolt eventually if Tiger fans continue to hound him for having solid seasons. He says he loves the fans’ passion good or bad, but the bad can get be a bit overbearing. Pastner has missed the NCAA Tournament only once in his five-year stint at the University of Memphis, and it came during

his first season with the program in shambles. Since that first year, the Tigers have been regulars in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll, and they’ve made the tournament each season. Very few programs have made the tournament in each of the last four seasons, but fans don’t see that. Fans see the tournament as a guarantee, and they are displeased with Pastner’s inability to make it out of the first weekend. Pastner makes around double the money Martin makes, so it would be much tougher for him to leave Memphis in the dust. But you never know when a school like Cal will swoop in at the right time—just ask Tennessee fans. And Memphis fans shouldn’t think they can lose Pastner and go hire some stud coach. These past two years have been tough for schools like Memphis trying

to hire coaches. Buzz Williams left Marquette in March to go to Virginia Tech, and Marquette missed on several of their targets to replace Williams. They settled for Steve Wojciechowski, a Duke assistant. Wojciechowski may do great at Marquette, but he was certainly not who the Golden Eagles had in mind. Boston College hired Jim Christian, who coached at Ohio University the past two seasons. Christian failed to make the tournament either season at Ohio, and Boston College, a storied program, didn’t raise any eyebrows with the Christian hire. Wake Forrest hired former No. 1 pick Danny Manning after firing Jeff Bzdelik. Manning made the tournament for the first time this past season in his second season as head coach at Tulsa.

The point is there just aren’t a lot of coaches looking to leave their schools for places like Memphis, Marquette, Tennessee and the like. The only schools with the power to draw big name coaches are North Carolina, Kansas, Duke, and Kentucky. Outside of those, it’s tough for most schools to find high-level coaches to come to their school, so it’s important to hold onto them once you’ve got them. Tennessee fans want to throw around names like Witchita State’s Gregg Marshall, VCU’s Shaka Smart and Xavier’s Chris Mack to replace Martin, but they probably won’t end up making a splash with this hire. Tiger fans should take notice of Tennessee’s coaching woes. And be careful what you wish for, because the Vols weren’t.

thing we didn’t get in Kansas was hurricanes.” After receiving his degree in meteorology at Mississippi State, he became a weekend weather anchor at News Channel 3 in Wichita, Kan. After moving on from News Channel 3, he started working for the private weather company, WeatherData Inc., which issued storms warning across U.S. and even Mexico and Canada. While working there, he earned a master’s in physical sci-

ence from Emporia State University. After earning his master’s, he began teaching at Wichita State and found a new passion for academics. After receiving his doctorate in environmental dynamics at the University of Arkansas, he stayed there for one year and taught geology courses. Burnette is now an assistant professor at the University of Memphis, where he has taught multiple climatology and meteorology classes since the fall of 2012. He also gets to con-

duct many different forms of research in his field. “I like doing both—teaching and the research game,” he said. “So this is just a natural fit since this is a research institution. We have master’s and Ph D programs in our department, so there is never a dull moment.” Burnette splits his time teaching and doing research. Currently, he is working on a collaborative project with colleagues from Columbia University, the University of Arkansas

and NASA to construct a new North American Drought Atlas for the National Science Foundation. One highlight of the research for Burnette is that he gets to pick everything he works on. “Getting to pick my research is a really cool aspect,” he said. “We are doing stuff we want to do, so it’s fun.” Developing relationships and collaborating with scientists all over the nation is also a huge part of the research game to Burnette. “We both team up with professors here in our department, but also want to have a reputation as well,” he said. “It’s not just here focused on campus, but you want to build your reputation on a national and international basis as well.” Though he spends much of his time teaching and researching, Burnette still makes time to go out into the field and chase storms as well. He even uses storm chasing as a teaching tool. “I like to take students into the field with me,” he said. “I’ll take students from my severe weather class to observe storms in their real environment. What we study in the textbook are ideal situations, and the atmosphere tends to gravitate away from that. We can see certain features we have been learning about in class, and it seems to help things click pretty nicely for students.” Burnette still enjoys storm chasing and learns new things every time he goes out into the field. “I learn something every single day when I’m out there,” he said. “The atmosphere always teaches me something new, even on bust days when we go out in the field and see nothing.”

8 • Wednesday, April 16, 2014

www.dailyhelmsman.com

Women’s tennis snags second seed for AAC Tourney By Austin Reynolds

sports@dailyhelmsman.com The University of Memphis women’s tennis team finished the regular season with a 13-8 record, earning the second seed in the inaugural American Athletic Conference Tournament. After the program’s breakthrough season a year ago, the expectations were higher than ever, but Memphis head coach Lee Taylor Walker said his team is happy to have the two seed. “We had some high expectations for this season coming off our best season ever last year,” Walker said. “We were hopeful to get the one seed earlier in the season, but as we got later on in the season we took a couple of tough losses. We like where we are (at the two seed). It’s good.” Sophomore Skylar Kuykendall is focusing less on the seed and more on the task at hand. “No matter what seed you are, it’s gonna be a tough tournament, so I think we just need to make the best of what we have right now,” Kuykendall said. As the second seed, Memphis has a first round bye in the conference tournament and will play either Temple University or the University of Central Florida. If the Tigers are able to pull off the victory, they will face either Southern Methodist or the tournament host South Florida. The Tigers kicked off the year with a 6-2 record with the losses coming at then-No. 3 North Carolina and thenNo. 28 Oklahoma, but they dropped four of their next seven games before finishing the season strong, winning four of their final six contests. But, according to Walker, the team hasn’t performed to the best of its abilities this season. “To be honest, all season long it’s been crazy because we haven’t necessarily felt like we’ve achieved our potential,” Walker said. “The nice thing about that is that we’re still playing, so we still have room for that to happen. I think we’ve always held out hope that it’s going to come together.” The Tigers may have underperformed compared to expectations, but they still have put themselves in position for a second-consecutive trip to the

Solutions

NCAA Tournament. “I think if we make the (conference finals) we’ll secure being in the tournament, so taking care of the first two rounds and getting to the finals is important,” Walker said. “If we don’t get to the finals, if we win our first round only and lose in the semifinals, then we’ll definitely be a bubble team.” In singles, the U of M is led by freshmen Marta Morga and Anki Wind. Morga holds a team-best 23-6 overall record, and Wind is 23-10. Morga and Wind are the only Tigers to go undefeated in conference play, each with a record of 4-0. In doubles, the pairing of Wind and senior Stefanie Mikesz is 16-10 this season, but they have dropped their last two contests. Morga and senior Liza Tymchenko are 8-3 but haven’t seen any action against ranked opponents. A season ago, Memphis made the tournament and defeated Florida State University in the opening round before being swept by the University of Alabama in the second round. The Tigers first match is slated for Friday 8 a.m. in Tampa, Fla.

photo By BrANDoN CArADINe | StAFF

Memphis women’s tennis sophomore duo of Skylar Kuykendall (left) and Caroline Wegner (right) practice for the upcoming American conference tournament. The Tigers begin play early Friday morning.

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