  Synthetic spectra generated with the parameterized supernova
synthetic-spectrum code SYNOW are compared to observed photospheric-phase
spectra of the Type Ic supernova 1994I. The observed optical spectra can be
well matched by synthetic spectra that are based on the assumption of spherical
symmetry. We consider the identification of the infrared absorption feature
observed near 10,250 \AA, which previously has been attributed to He I
$\lambda10830$ and regarded as strong evidence that SN 1994I ejected some
helium. We have difficulty accounting for the infrared absorption with He I
alone. It could be a blend of He I and C I lines. Alternatively, we find that
it can be fit by Si I lines without compromising the fit in the optical region.
  In synthetic spectra that match the observed spectra, from 4 days before to
26 days after the time of maximum brightness, the adopted velocity at the
photosphere decreases from 17,500 to 7000 \kms. Simple estimates of the kinetic
energy carried by the ejected mass give values that are near the canonical
supernova energy of $10^{51}$ ergs. The velocities and kinetic energies that we
find for SN 1994I in this way are much lower than those that we find elsewhere
for the peculiar Type Ic SNe 1997ef and 1998bw, which therefore appear to have
been hyper-energetic.
