Mr. Trokey was immediately entranced by textile recycling. His history with philanthropy has given him insight into this double-edged sword. He says, “I thought I was doing the greatest thing for these ‘people in need’ when, really, I may have been taking away local jobs, pretending to have skills that I did not have, and viewing myself as the solution to the complex web of problems [they face].” 

His travels have taken him to Uganda once and Kenya three times. He says, “There is great need in Africa, but those needs are not as simple as we feel they are when we tell our children to ‘eat all of their vegetables because there are starving kids in Africa.’” The United States’ resources are immense, and Mr. Trokey believes this presents a responsibility “to assist those in need throughout the world; however, the needs are often different than we assume.” While it is generally a great thing to pass on items when you find you no longer have use for them, that isn’t necessarily the answer when it comes to poor countries in his eyes.

The Stern Opportunity shares a quote from Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, a country in Africa: “We have to grow and establish our own industries.” The price of traditional African clothing is incredibly steep since rich countries have flooded the continent with cheap alternatives. Rather than helping the problem, a certain dependency has been created. 

On the bright side, the efforts of richer countries have not been entirely wasted. Mr. Trokey says, “However, the greatest benefits I see come through health care, education, and usable resources.” He believes more harm than good is done when we “disregard our leftovers” on third-world countries as a solution. Often, this is not “the saving grace” for people in need. 

Much of our country’s concern is directed at offering aid to other places, and we often ignore the problems we have ourselves. Mr. Trokey says, “Honestly, in all of my world travels, the greatest need I have ever seen was on an Indian Reservation in South Dakota…” While countries may have few resources and little money, they are generally home to happy communities. He did not see that during his time in South Dakota. “There was very little hope and incredibly widespread poverty… again, inside the USA. Oftentimes, those with the greatest needs are much closer than we realize.”

While the issue of textile waste is overwhelming, there are steps you as an individual can take. A good idea is buying second hand. Don’t buy into fast fashion; rather, look for clothing that is made to last (The Stern Opportunity). 

Mr. Trokey also believes solutions to this problem will start on a small scale. His own experiences involve guilt surrounding neglecting to donate his clothes, toys, and other items to those in need. Action is taken and the guilt subsides. Of course, those items are then replaced, and the cycle of growing waste continues. His goal is learning to be content with his current possessions, and only buying the things he needs…for the most part. He admits weakness when it comes to a solid bargain. As for things that he absolutely has no use for, he intends to work on donating them. By giving away his unwanted items, he aspires to have a humble attitude and not believe that he is “saving the world with [his] great generosity.”

Amongst the high school, Mr. Trokey would love to see students being more encouraging in terms of clothing. Destigmatizing second hand purchases would be a huge step. It would allow students to wear used clothing without feeling like a social pariah. Furthermore, offering compliments and being willing to swap old clothing with your peers are things Mr. Trokey would be proud of.  He raises the question, “Who are we trying to impress? [W]e live in a rural small town in Southwest Missouri with a bunch of other people living in the same setting. What do we gain from being the best dressed male or female student[?]” It would warm his heart to see students removing the weight of fashion standards from their shoulders. 

Not only would this help poor countries, it would also help our environment. According to an article from European Parliament, “The impact of textile production and waste on the environment,” 10% of greenhouse emissions come from the manufacturing of clothing and shoes. It is also responsible for 35% of microplastics in the environment, 20% of water pollution, and the release of 1,000,000,000 pounds of microfibers in the ocean. 

There are many reasons to make a difference on a personal level. While you as an individual would have a negligible impact on the matter, if several students from MVHS took action, it would be a step in the right direction. At the end of the day, every little bit counts. 

For additional information, check out these sources: 

“The impact of textile production and waste on the environment”

“Developing Countries Don’t Want Your Clothes”

“Charity that Hurts” (video-4min)

“The Environmental Disaster that is Fuelled by Used Clothes and Fast Fashion” (video-30min)

It's not love, it’s abuse: understanding teen dating violence

By Emily Horrell

This month is full of romance and chick-flick moments; however, it’s also Teen Dating Violence Awareness month. Teenage relationships can be very complicated, which is why it’s important to understand what kind of relationships there are and what a healthy relationship looks like. 

Love Is Respect is an informational website about dating and toxic relationships. They define dating as “two or more people in an intimate relationship." This can look like many different things, “The relationship may be sexual (though it doesn’t have to be), it could be serious or casual, gay or straight, monogamous or open, short-term or long-term.” There isn’t just one way to be in a relationship with someone, and that can complicate the way that you communicate. 

If you aren’t sure of the situation you and your partner are in, you can always open up a conversation and ask for clarification and boundaries. This can look like you asking your partner to stop dating other people, or your partner telling you they aren’t ready for a serious relationship and discussing it from there. If you already know what you and your partner define your relationship as, do you know if it’s healthy?

The “Dating Basics” section of the website Love Is Respect says, “All relationships exist on a spectrum from healthy to unhealthy to abusive, and it’s important to know what to look for in a partner — both good and bad — to make sure you’re building a healthy relationship." There are ways to determine whether or not your relationship is healthy, ask yourself if these apply.

• “Your partner respects you and your individuality”

• “You feel safe being open and honest with each other”

• “Your partner supports you and your decisions even when they disagree with you”

• “You and your partner have equal say and boundaries that are respected”

• “Your partner understands and respects your need to spend time with friends or family”

• “You can communicate your feelings without being afraid of negative consequences”

If they do, that’s amazing! If they don’t, your relationship might be unhealthy.

Toxic behaviors in partners come in many different forms; just because they aren’t physically harming you, doesn’t mean your relationship is healthy. So what is abuse? They describe abuse in dating as “Dating abuse is a pattern of coercive, intimidating, or manipulative behaviors used to exert power and control over a partner." Now this clearly isn’t something that you’re immediately going to be okay with discovering or even thinking about, but if you or someone you love may be in an abusive relationship, you can visit Loveisrespect.org and their resource page has details on how to help. Getting involved can get the conversation started and change lives. 

For the second year in a row, finals were hosted at the Mid-Winter Classic. Judges placed, six schools in competition for the final round. As fifth runner-up, Carthage’s treble group, Suite Sounds, executed a drama-filled performance of the issues between Jolene and Diane. From Kansas City, Oak Park Oak Street Singers, a mixed group placed as fourth runner-up. Webb City’s mixed group, Singers, and their treble group, Bella Voce, placed third and second runner-up. Bella Voce’s show carries a Kim Possible theme. Carthage’s mixed group, Soundwave, placed as first runner-up with an intergalactic love story theme. Joplin Sound Dimension, a mixed group, took the grand champion title with a Joker and the Queen-themed show.