One of my journalism inspirations comes from Brooklyn, New York. Vice Magazine started out as a purely printed publication, but through wild successes, has spread to printing in 28 countries and putting out wildly popular and influential videos on Youtube. Through deep exploration into subcultures, they have exposed millions of people to cults, alternative lifestyles and stories that would otherwise go completely untold. Vice is truly the king of coverage.

What this blog aims to accomplish is that some expansive coverage of the most obscure cultures and reveal them to the public. There will be no judgement involved at all in this presentation, just the intention of showing the fringes of Southwest’s culture.

What The Standard highlights all too often is the “in” crowd, people who are easy to access. Too many times, The Standard tells the easy stories: sports, people who stand out for accomplishments.

And that means that some people here at school will never get the attention of the press, they will not be covered, told that they are not exceptional. But that stops here. Everyone has something unique about them. And that is how identity is shaped.

Welcome.