I 8A - Wednesday, September 19, 2012
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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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1doms sets out to revitalize
5Pahokee with garden project
By STEPHEN J.NESBITT4
Daily Sports Editor
Today, it sits an empty, grassy
y ot in the heart of Pahokee, Fla.'
Martavious Odoms, a former
Michigan football wide receiver,
has a vision for the future of the
plot at the corner of4th Street and'
Banyan Avenue; a vision that goes ;
back to Pahokee's roots.
"This is gonna be big," Odomss
said.
TheycallPahokee"MuckCity,"t
referencing the mineral-rich soil
on the banks of Lake Okeechobee
in southern Florida. It's summer
year-round there.
"Pahokee used to be one of the
best places for growing vegetables I
in the world," Odoms said in a '
phone interview.
But that was back in its heyday.
Today, the economic recession
has crippled the community -
home to current Michigan play-
ers Brandin Hawthorne, Richard
Ash and Vincent Smith - leaving ERIN KIRKLAND/Dai
businesses, homes and gardens Former Michigan wide receiver Martavious Odoms is nearly done collecting funds for his #EATING project in Florida.
unattended. Odoms wants to start feel like they're making a change, The Hope for Pahokee cast and what I stand for, and some
a movement; he wants to bring makinga difference," Odoms said. released several T-shirt designs how they just want to help me
the garden back. The staple crops? Collared and wristbands to start raising Odoms said. "They don't kno
Odoms, with help from partner greens, green beans, black-eyed money. They plastered campus where the money is going or noth
group Robot Hustle Crew - self- peas, tomatoes and okra, just to with "Martavious Odoms Pres- in', but they just want to help."
described as "a collection of art- name a few. ents: #EATING" signs, encourag- In eight days, Odoms will hav
ist, pronoters, multi-media and "All the stuff that people eat ing students to wear their apparel the funds to begin the real wor
socialmediaconsultants"basedin here down here in the south," in support. He's poured all his time intoi
southeast Michigan - set out this Odoms said. Last week, Odoms launched since he graduated from the Un
month to raise $35,000 on Kick- The garden project is just the the official $35,000 campaign on versity last spring with a gener
starter, the online crowd funding first of many for Odoms, who, Kickstarter. Within days, news of studies degree.
website, to plant a community using the title 'Martavious Odoms the Hope for Pahokee fundraiser He's still chasing the dream o
garden in Pahokee through Urban Presents,' hopes to fund simi- began to make its way through playing football professionall
Greenworks, which runs five gar- lar non-profit the Michigan working out every day to stay i
dens in Miami. ventures in fan base. shape, but this project tends t
With eight days left in the cam- the future. He After weigh heavier on his mind, h
paign,Odoms's project isless than trademarked "I really w anted Odoms posted says, adding that it's put a lot
$5,000 froomb's pletely the project ear- about it on the perspective.
funded, having raised more than lier this year to see that it's Michigan fan "I really wanted people to se
$30,OOOby Tuesday morning. with a simple site MGoBlog, that it's not all about money,
The goal is to install a garden slogan: #EAT- not all about things took Odoms said. "Growing up, I fe
that can be self-sustaining - a ING. off. And took like the only way I could hel
project that values community That was money." off quickly. someone is ifI got rich. It's not a
involvement as much as getting before he knew "I'm not about money. All you have to d
food on tables. The funds raised exactly what a blogger," is give your time and people wi
will be used to buy the empty the the final goal Odoms said, realize that you're a real gen
plot, pay for tools and seeds andto was. In late February he launched "but I do it because they're really ine person and they want to hel
hire people from the community the website Hope For Pahokee loyal and they really respect what you."
to work on the garden. and released a video to explain I want to do and back me 100 per- He says he has a vision for
Odoms would also like to see what #EATING meant. cent on this project. better Pahokee, and a communit
the money help give kids in the "It's a slang term that's about "Words can'texplain it. I didn't garden is just planting the fir
community after-school pro- trying to become successful," realize how much people want to seed.
grams or to teach residents how Odoms said. see me be successful." "This is just the beginning
to sowtheir own garden. It's the opposite of starving, Most donators won't see the Odoms said. "There are a loto
"This could give someone an and there are some members of benefits of their goodwill. That's great opportunities out ther
opportunity to be part of some- the Pahokee communitythat fight what touched Odoms the most. you've just got to know what t
thing outside of their family to that battle everyday. "Most people know who I am do."
MEN'S GOLF
'M' opens season
with 9th-place
finish in Toledo
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The
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Echav
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rosh McIntosh He shot a two-over 73 in both
rounds on Monday and finished
ces third overall with a four-over 75 on Tuesday
for a final score of eight-over.
,n ater faltering The other three players strug-
. fgled even more, with freshman
infnaloun Chris O'Neil, senior Matt Alessi
and sophomore Noori Hyun
By JEFF KAPLAN shooting 20-over, 21-over, and
For the Daily 26-over, respectively. Because it
was only the first tournament,
a team that's attempting there is plenty of time to improve
n the Big Ten champion- throughout the season.
Monday and Tuesday were "It's hard to generalize (the
ood days for the Michigan improvements) for the whole
golf team. team because everyone is playing
e Wolverines finished ninth their owngame out there but ball
10 teams at the Inverness striking and decision making are
ollegiate in Toledo, Ohio, the two main things," Whitten
ing a 900 over 48 holes. said. "Inverness is a long course
western finished first, 32 with small greens and the ball
ahead of the Wolverines. striking is really demanding. I
Michigan coach Chris think some guys saw they have
en still found positives room to improve for sure."
the tournament. Whitten said he has high aspi-
e had one individual per- rations for the team this year
nce by a freshman, Brett after it struggled much of last
tosh, who really played well year. He thinks McIntosh can be
ir his first college event just a big part of the turn around.
great job," Whitten said. "He just had a really good
other guys all came away week on the course," Whitten
things to work on. It defi- said. "He drove the ball great and
wasn't a team finish that hita lot of greens and he limited
anted but I think everyone his mistakes..I know he wishes
clear picture of what they he could have one or two shots
o improve for next week." back maybe but he's played in a
Intosh finished tied for lot of big golf tournaments and I
in the field of 63. The Lon- think he felt pretty comfortable
Ontario native was two- out there even though it was his
after playing 36 holes on first collegiate event. So he'll be a
ay and even had the lead good player for a long time."
g Tuesday's play. He was McIntosh also said he was
-under after seven holes excited about the potential for
final round when he fell the team this year.
Overall, he shot a four- Hopefully the freshman's per-
75 on the final day of the formance in the first tournament
ament. can motivate and encourage his
ve played in a lot of junior teammates to play well in the
s and I know quite a few of future, he said. If the Wolverines
uys in the tournament so I can use the tournament as an
t too nervous," McIntosh experience, and if the team can
"I was just more focused play to the level of the freshman,
presenting Michigan well they will have a competitive sea-
-ying to put in a good score son.
y team. I wasn't too ner- "The big thing for us at Michi-
about it. I knew if I played gan is to win a Big Ten champi-
me that good things could onship," McIntosh said. "We're
m and luckily that's how it hoping to finish in the top three
d out." in the rest of our events as a
e rest of the team didn't fare team. IfI do well, the team does
ll. Senior captain Miguel well so if I can do well, I can help
varria was the next Michi- the team out so that's really the
layer on the leaderboard. most important thing to me."
VOLLEYBALL
McElheny's return could help the Wolverines
By GREG GARNO five sets against Duke. "It was kind of like letting the
Daily Sports Writer A fifth player sat injured on tiger out of the cage," McElheny
a stationary bike, continuously said of her return. "I had alot of
During the final match of the pedaling, studying the opponent built of energy to get in. There
Coke/Michigan Invitational on and waiting to enter the game. wasn't any time for me to be
Saturday, four members of the Fifth-year senior right side nervous or start feeling the pres-
Michigan volleyball team stood hitter Claire McElheny has stood sure, because I had to be there
injured on the sideline with on the sideline through several and be a steady presence."
shirts over their jerseys and vari- games this season, but over the McElheny's goal of consis-
ous body parts taped, watching weekend, she finally got a chance tency would be tough to attain
their teammates battle through to play Saturday evening. after sitting out four weeks of the
beginning of the season with an
Achilles tendon injury she suf-
fered during in nonconference
play early in the season. During
the Tiger invitational in Mis-
souri at the end of August, McEl-
heny, the team's captain, first felt
the pain and was sidelined after
last playing against Virginia
Tech. This injury requires time
and patience to limit the amount
of stress and pressure put on it.
"I was looking for a magic
cure there for awhile," McEl-
heny said. "They just don't have
it, though. I did a bunch of treat-
ment, but the biggest thing is
rest."
In the end, resting meant that
the veteran was unable to prac-
tice or compete for almost a
month, forcing Michigan coach
Mark Rosen to shuffle his lineup.
McElheny, Michigan's lone
senior first returned to action
against Eastern Michigan on
Friday morning, tallying just
two kills and a block in her lim-
ited time. But she aggravated
her injury, forcing her to miss
the match against Western Ken-
tucky later that night.
On Saturday, McElheny
entered the game against the
Blue Devils in the second set, her
team trailing 20-17, and recorded
a kill right away.
In the next set, McElheny
recorded a solo block that helped
cap a 11-1 run. McElheny ended
her night with two more kills, as
part of a rally from a three-point
deficit.
"She's more experienced than
anyone else in the gym." Rosen
said. "She's also very unique.
Her offense is more off of one
foot and it's very fast, so it cre-
ates a very different dynamic. All
of the sudden we go from a very
vanilla offense - pretty good but
very predictable - to a very fast
dynamic offense."
Despite McElheny's absence,
the Wolverines have still gone
12-2 to open the season, but fell
from the top 25 this week. The
senior's return couldn't be at a
better time, though, as McEl-
heny will bring her experience
to a young lineup that heads into
Big Ten play on this week.
And she'll begin Friday, hav-
ing picked up more knowledge
from her position on the sideline.
"I've gotten a different per-
spective standing on the side,"
McElheny said. "I think with
what I'm seeing, I can still help
give input and stay engaged."
Michigan faltered in Big Ten
competition last year, finishing
12-0 in nonconference before
going 8-12 in conference play.
This season, the Wolverines
have avoided putting too much
pressure on themselves as they
begin competition in arguably
the toughest conference in the
country.
Michigan opens up against
Indiana (8-2) on Friday and con-
cludes the weekend on Saturday
night with a matchup against
Purdue (9-2). With No. 3 Nebras-
ka and No. 4 Penn State in the
conference, a good start will be
key to the Wolverine's season.
"We're trying to go out an
play our best game every night
and not focus on the other team
instead of us," McElheny said.
"In years past we've approached
a loss like 'How do we handle
that?' and now we're not over-
exaggerating."
But McElheny has priorities of
her own to worry about as well.
"I need to focus on not taking
any reps for granted," McElheny
said. "I need to make each point
count because I'm not going to
get that back."
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