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Comments on the Technique Coverage
FOR YOUR INFORMATION...
After the remarks in the Technique last Friday by school officials
defending the eviction and hence the destruction of the Barbell Club
from its basement facility in O'Keefe Gym in order to accommodate the
volleyball team, it is important that the Tech community understand
the following:
1. The chief spokesman for the Athletic Association and the
Administration stated that "the removal of the [Barbell] Club was
necessary for compliance with title IX regulations... In the past, the
volleyball team utilized locker rooms in Alexander Memorial Coliseum,
but according to Title IX compliance report prepared this spring by an
outside consultant, the volleyball team needs to have locker
facilities located in the same building in which they compete."
Reply: Where does Title IX or the NCAA require that the dressing and
shower facilities for a sport be in the same location where the team
practices or competes? There is no such requirement! It may be
"nice" but it is certainly not mandated. The GT football team dresses
at Grant Field and then walks some three blocks to its practice field
at Rose Bowl. The Women's Track and Softball teams dress in the
Coliseum complex and then must walk father to its practice and
competition track/softball site than does the Women's Volleyball team
which also dresses in excellent facilities in the Coliseum and walks
to its competition site in O'Keefe. The argument of an unavoidable
necessity and mandate that the volleyball team must have dressing
facilities in the O'Keefe Gym where it competes to comply with Title
IX or NCAA requirements is simply an attempt to try to justify an
extremely unfair decision to evict the Barbell Club from its facility
of 25 years in the basement of O'Keefe. But let us assume for the
sake of argument that there is such a mandate to comply with Title IX
and the NCAA. Then this should cause the AA and the Administration to
require that the volleyball team play its games in the Coliseum where
it already has excellent locker space instead of in the O'Keefe Gym to
avoid hurting 900 students who annually pay to join the Barbell Club.
This would solve any perceived problem with Title IX and NCAA
compliance. While the volleyball team may like to play at O'Keefe,
the members of the Barbell Club, some 75 times greater in number, also
like to workout at O'Keefe. Don't students who are not varsity
athletes also count?
If the AA is permitted to have the space in O'Keefe now occupied
by the Barbell Club, the AA will have to spend hundred of thousands of
dollars to renovate the vacated space. This would be a very bad
administrative decision since the O'Keefe site for competition by the
volleyball team is already lacking in sufficient seating capacity for
the large number of fans; it has uncomfortable seats; no room for
growth; inadequate restroom and concession stand; and is in a old
building. There are also serious concerns for the Fire Marshall due
to overflow crowds, crowded lobby at intermission, and limited exits.
If the volleyball team must or desires to have nicer, more plush
dressing/shower facilities, then the AA should build them, either
inside or onto the Coliseum. The Barbell Club will donate $25,000 to
the AA to assist them.
2. It was also stated in last week's Technique by the AA and
Administration official that "the Coliseum is heavily used by both
men's and women's basketball for not just their games, but also their
practices. To squeeze in another volleyball venue... the scheduling
requirements for practice times and game times just wouldn't work."
Reply: This fails to recognize that the volleyball season begins in
late August while the basketball season doesn't begin until November!
Thus conflicts should be a minimum, and if there are, then the
volleyball team could still practice and compete in O'Keefe.
3. Probably the most difficult thing for the Administration to
understand is why wouldn't student members of the Barbell Club want to
workout at the CRC, especially when the CRC has a beautiful weight
facility.
Reply: Although students are aware of the new weight equipment in the
CRC and could, if they wish, workout at the CRC without additional
payment, why would over 450 Tech students to date since the new
membership year began on August 9th pay over $28,000 in dues to join
the Barbell Club if they didn't want what the Barbell Club offers?
The Administration may understand some of the reasons that the members
prefer the Barbell Club over the CRC for weight training. For
example, the CRC weight facility is often crowded; it's closed six
hours a day (nine hours on Fridays and Saturdays) and totally on
holidays and breaks; its location is not convenient for those who live
on the East campus; or the fact that the Barbell Club has a larger
variety of equipment. What they apparently do not understand is the
fact that the Barbell Club is a club where students seriously
interested in weight training like to workout. Its atmosphere is
totally different from that in a community recreational center. The
Club is theirs to govern and is a beautiful example of student
initiative.
4. The editorial in the Technique stated that the AA, Administration,
and the Barbell Club should negotiate. Although left out of all prior
discussions before the eviction notice was received, the Barbell Club
is ready to do so, but not if it means its total destruction. The
Barbell Club could not exist unless it has a facility which is its
own. There would be absolutely no reason to join! If the volleyball
team wanted only the two of the eight rooms of the Barbell Club in the
northeast corner of the Club (which would provide ample
dressing/shower facilities for the home and visiting team with ready
access to the above practice/game site), then the Barbell Club could
still survive, although the loss of the two rooms would seriously
hamper the Barbell Club. However, the volleyball team wants the
entire (!) eight workout rooms plus dressing and shower rooms. To
date the AA and the Administration have given the Barbell Club no
options on which to negotiate.
5. THE PRESIDENT AND THE ATHLETIC BOARD SHOULD NOTIFY THE DIRECTOR OF
ATHLETICS THAT THE SCHOOL WILL NOT PERMIT THE LARGEST STUDENT CLUB AT
GEORGIA TECH TO BE EVICTED UNFAIRLY FROM ITS FACILITY IN O'KEEFE GYM
AND THUS DESTROYED, WHEN THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS WHICH BETTER
ACCOMMODATE THE FACILITY NEEDS OF THE VOLLEYBALL TEAM YET LEAVE THE
BARBELL CLUB INTACT. THEIR NOTIFICATION WILL HAVE THE OVERWHELMING
BACKING OF THE STUDENT BODY, FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, FACULTY, AND
ALUMNI.
THANK YOU.