IMagazine: Voices 2022
M
ichael
Maynes
A New Pour
Interview by Deborah Hill Michael Maynes has been a videographer on the local scene for a few years now. Through his freelancing work and his position at the downtown cafe, Viejo Coffee, he’s had the opportunity to meet and get a feel for the people on the creative scene. Mike sat down to talk about how he got into video, where that’s taken him, and what’s next in the city that never stops growing. Deborah Hill: So, let’s start with your relationship to El Paso. Are you from there? What was growing up there like? Michael Maynes: Yeah, so I was born and raised in El Paso. I think for most of my life I actually kind of hated it because I felt it was limiting, but now that I’m older I think I’ve learned to appreciate it for what it has to offer. Like, when I think about the standard of living compared to a lot of bigger cities that I initially wanted to move to, El Paso just has a lot more of what I’m looking for. DH: What do you think is unique to your being raised in El Paso compared to what it could have been like living somewhere else? MM: I think El Paso is a big city with a small-town feel. Anywhere else I might feel alone but El Paso always has that someone or somewhere for what you need, if that makes sense. DH: You do photography now, right? Where did that inspiration come from? MM: It actually started in high
school for me. I started watching this YouTuber, Casey Neistat, and I just became so interested in what he did with his videos so I bought a go-pro and that’s kind of where it started. I really got into it once I started meeting other people that did freelance, and then it just kind of took off. I ended up minoring in film at UTEP and it’s been up from there ever since. DH: So when you first started out, I’m assuming you were taking videos around the city? What were the locations you branched out into first? MM: Yeah, when I first started, I was actually kind of basic. I would only film like downtown or in the plaza, you know what everyone usually does. Back then, my creativity was limited to whatever I saw on social media, and I wanted to do what everyone else was doing. DH: And where do you like to go now? MM: I kind of just let things happen. I find inspiration on walks with my dog and just wherever else sparks something for me. DH: So, outside of video, what else are you up to? You work at Viejo Coffee downtown, right? MM: That actually stemmed from video, funny enough. When I was doing freelance, I had reached out to the owners to see if I could do some videos to build my portfolio, and once they opened up officially they let me jump on. Working there has definitely sparked my creativity, especially with writing. Just seeing everyone come in and work on something different was inspiring, and the coffee shop atmosphere definitely helps me keep that mindset. DH: Tell me more about that atmosphere. What are the people that you meet like? MM: Viejo is still fairly new, so it’s kind of nice in the sense that we all feel connected through it. Like, we don’t all know each other or anything but it’s definitely a friendly atmosphere and I get to have a more intimate relationship with our customers. Through there, I’ve met so many people from all different types of backgrounds – I even met Isaac through Viejo! I don’t know, it’s just inspiring to see everyone doing what they’re doing and pursuing what they love. DH: And do you see yourself pursuing anything on the coffee side now? MM: I’m actually really into exploring how we can incorporate sustainability into the coffee scene. That’s actually kind of where I want to take my writing. As a barista, I can see all of the things we can do better and I know that goes beyond just the coffee scene, so pursuing those stories is definitely something I’m interested in right now. DH: Speaking of stories, what was your initial reaction to Isaac reaching out about the magazine? MM: Well, I actually reached out to him. The sustainability thing was a huge reason why, but overall I had just been wanting to do something where I could explore things in more depth and at the local level, so when I saw Isaac post about IMAG on Instagram I was like, "This is it." El Paso is at a great place right now to start something because we’re not yet oversaturated, and I think the purpose of the magazine – you know, giving the city a piece, it didn’t know it was missing, is something I definitely want to be a part of.
Emma Alcantar Emma Alcantar is a local high school English teacher who jumped onto the IMAG team as a means of scratching the journalistic itch she didn’t know was buried deep inside of her. Today, she sat down to talk about how she found her passion for writing and where she’s taking it next. Deborah Hill: Alright, Emma, we’re going to start from the beginning. What’s your connection to El Paso? Emma Alcantar: So, I was actually born here. My dad was raised here and my mom moved here from Albuquerque when she was around six, so I’ve always been here. DH: An El Pasoan through and through – got it. What high school did you go to? EA: Actually, I was home-schooled. It wasn’t until high school that I started taking dual credit classes through EPCC. I believe it was my senior year, DH: And did you enjoy being home-schooled? EA: I really did. I’m an introvert so I preferred being able to do all my stuff on my own and it was just nice to be able to go at my own pace and all of that. It’s definitely not for everyone but it worked out for me. DH: Now you teach English at Canutillo? When did that aspiration start? EA: It was kind of around 4th grade when I had this really good English teacher. We had pre-recorded lessons that year and this teacher was just really excited about the stuff she was teaching and for a student that was watching her through a screen, it really meant a lot. Around then is when I started reading a lot and once I started I kind of always had an audiobook on or something of the sort near me. Eventually, when it got time for me to pick a major, I was just kind of like "All I want to do is read and talk about books," and my mom was like "Well, why don’t you teach?"
Buried Deep by Deborah Hillill
DH: Did you have an idea going into college about teaching high school kids specifically? EA: I thought about teaching younger kids but I didn’t feel I would be effective teaching everything, which is kind of what you have to do. So, I decided on teaching high school pretty early on.
knew what was going on but if you talked to someone else they’d be lost and it was kind of like "Wait, you don’t know about this?" DH: Definitely that sense of community.
DH: And have you enjoyed that so far?
EA: Right, for sure. Then there are different things that you notice we don’t have once you start branching out. It was always a paradox.
I really have, I do like it. I teach 10th and 11th grade, and it’s kind of a sweet spot for me right now.
DH: Now that you’ve seen those things, what are your thoughts on living in El Paso long-term?
DH: Teaching at Canutillo is how you met Isaac right? How did the jump from coworkers to IMAG team members happen?
EA: Well, it’s home obviously. But I think that the fact that it’s growing so much is something that really intrigues me, and I definitely want to see how it builds up. People are saying that it’s becoming the next Austin and you know it’s such a weird landscape – I just want to see how people start to invest in the community.
EA: Yes, it was. I actually didn’t meet him until about a year after he started working, because he came in mid-year and everything was virtual. He told me about [the magazine], and I was like "I would love to write for it." We had talked before about how I missed writing in a non-academic form, and he just kind of said "Honestly, if you miss it that much I have this idea I’m working on," and my response was basically "You don’t have to say anymore, I’m in." DH: Did you have journalistic aspirations before this? EA: Not necessarily – I’ve thought about journalism in the educational sense but that’s more so book writing rather than journalistic writing. Now that I’m writing I’m kind of like, I don’t really know anything other than NPR and some podcasts. DH: Are you a newspaper reader yourself? EA: I would read a lot of NPR starting in middle school because of my older brother and sister; they told me how to find the articles on the website and it just kind of became like a huge library opening up. I just got so lost in it. I really liked the New Yorker a lot and Wall Street Journal, oddly enough as a 12-year-old. DH: Those are some dense topics! EA: Yeah, I know! DH: Let’s talk a little more about El Paso. What’s something that’s stood out to you from growing up there? EA: I think it was never really a place people know about once I traveled outside and talked about it, but it was very much a little bubble. Everyone in El Paso
DH: Obviously with all that growth is going to come change, anything you’re excited about in particular? Or anything you’re just keeping your eye on? EA: I definitely see a culture shift coming. I think people who move here see the kind of culture we have, and because it’s so different from anywhere else in Texas, it’s kind of hard not to get invested in it. But, when people leave and come back and bring their friends or partners or whoever with them, you know those are the little changes that are going to make a big impact someday. DH: Is that something you’re interested in writing about? EA: Yeah, I really would be. I just think it’s so interesting, especially when I think about the professors I’ve met that have lived in places like New York or LA. It’s just like, what influences someone to pick our little border town to stay in?
It Will All Come Together Straight out of the two-four By Deborah Hill Isaac Medina was born and raised in El Paso. Hailing from the northeast, he’s spent his entire life invested in the people and places around him. For this interview, we sat down to talk about growing up, developing a passion, and how moments of his life snowballed into the brainchild that is “IMagazine.” Deborah Hill: Tell me about your experience growing up in El Paso, what’s that connection like? Isaac Medina: So, I’ve strived to always try to have a less cliche remark when people ask if I’m from El Paso. I was born and raised in what I consider the heart of the city, the northeast side. I always consider it the heart because that’s where I’ve had a lot of meaningful relationships come out of so, yeah, I guess that’s where I attribute that from. Growing up, I went to a few schools but ended up with half of my friends from Canyon at what was then the founding of Chapin High School. After all of that I went to EPCC, then UTEP, and after spending the first quarter of my life grounded in the city I got my master’s degree online from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. DH: All of that moving around but you were always tied to the northeast? IM: Yeah, I mean it definitely helped that my mom was kind of always working for the school system. It was always her following me or me following her until high school – she tried to follow me up there but it just didn’t pan out, thank God.
DH: You needed that space as a teenager! Did you enjoy that dynamic with her? IM: I did; it really didn’t bother me at all. By the time I was in middle school she had my locker picked out for me and everything and of course, it was the best one so, you know. DH: You had all of the hookups. IM: All of them, definitely. DH: What was that relationship like on the weekends? Was there a duality to her? IM: I would say not really. I mean, my parents were pretty strict about my education growing up so it was always pretty prioritized even at home. If my mom didn’t get the message across, my dad was definitely going to. DH: And what did your dad do? IM: My dad worked at White Sands in the early days with film, photography, and lab work. During that time he was also in the Navy reserves but he kind of wrapped that up towards the end of my time in elementary school. For a time, he left White Sands for a job at NMSU but he ended up going back to that first job and getting his MBA. So, yeah, growing up my dad was definitely a career man, and he kind of became this epitome for me of structure and character building. DH: Would you say your dad’s involvement with film and photography was when the seed was planted within you? IM: Oh, definitely. If I remember correctly, he was the first person to put a camera in my hands, and I actually still have that camera to this day. I don’t think he knows it, probably because I don’t say it enough, but he’s the one that inspired me to get really into photography. I mean, I won my first photo contest in second grade! I was really young and crazily enough it just stuck with me. DH: I know you were in band and broadcasting in high school. How did you come to the decision between following one or the other as a career path in college? IM: Well before I got to UTEP, I knew that I didn’t want to pursue music really as a major, but journalism was kind of manifested by a horrible first year in college. I started off as a psych major with some credits from dual classes that I had taken in high school, but that year I just wasn’t mature enough. I was kind of slacking off and doing whatever, and my grades really started to show for it. Eventually, I just got faced with this choice like, "Do I try to make this work, or do I go for something I know I can do?" DH: Around that time is when you started pursuing photography professionally as well, right? IM: Yeah, that was definitely in college. I remember seeing an ad on Facebook that this local photographer had posted about expanding his team, his photography team. So I went and submitted my stuff, did an interview, and started off in the reception area of the studio. I was making phone calls, handling bookings, and they were teaching me a little bit of photoshop, but then after a few months, I got to learn about set designing and eventually he moved me into his
wedding team. After that, I was just busy and working almost every weekend. DH: And when did you make the jump into your own business? IM: Well, my boss ended up moving to California, so I kind of just took it upon myself to continue doing weddings. From there, I was like "I wonder where I can take this," and that’s when I got into the whole fashion thing, which is kind of where I live now. I do a lot of street fashion and medieval-themed work. DH: I’m assuming doing that has exposed you to a ton of different people? IM: Oh man, yeah, it’s really cool. I mean, I can go from having a photoshoot one day with a friend who might just want pictures for fun but you know if that person says something I can end up taking headshots for a building developer or something. It really just skyrockets and varies but meeting other photographers and creatives can be so humbling. DH: Well since having met so many people, what are three things you’d say all El Pasoan’s are connected by? The big three we all have roots in. IM: Generally speaking, culture, friendships, and the acceptance of new ideas. I think at one point we maybe weren’t as open to new ideas but now, because there’s a flood of younger creatives, the city has opened up the doors for more talks to be had. DH: Is that the idea the magazine is rooted in as well? IM: The magazine idea came more so around 2010 when I used to see all of these magazines being passed around different places. I thought they were cool, but I always wanted to see something more photo-centric. I just always thought there must be more to El Paso than whatever was in just a few magazines that I saw. I just remember thinking if I were ever to develop a magazine it would be to get the city to understand that there is a way to be consistently good at photography or writing, and the stories span more culture, the arts, and experiences. DH: So we’re exposing everyone to parts of the city they might not otherwise see. IM: Yeah, I mean, we’re just doing that in this very interesting narrative format and shooting really cool pictures to back it up. The only way to maintain the integrity of what we do is by being honest. This is for El Paso and its history, and for the people coming here, this is to help them understand that history.
Melting The Pot with Paloma Gallego by Deborah Hill Paloma Gallego has had the typical El Paso childhood, but now she’s venturing into appreciating the city through a more adult lens and thinking about what next steps can help her make that mindset shift. We sat down to talk about what growing up in the city was like, how culture has influenced her, and what she thinks she can definitely appreciate now. Deborah Hill: So let’s start with where you’re from, were you born in El Paso? Paloma Gallego: No, actually I was born in Juarez! My mom is from Chihuahua and my dad is from Spain. I actually didn’t move to El Paso until I was around three. DH: Did you have a big family growing up? PG: Yeah, I actually did, I have three older sisters so it was always the six of us. I definitely got used to being around them and having all of us at home. When I got older, it was kind of funny seeing how some families aren’t like that. DH: What do you mean, like size-wise? PG: Size and also I feel like it was kind of a culture shock. Mexican families are always big and loud and I never thought that wasn’t normal until I started branching out more. DH: Let’s talk about when you got a little older, you went to Irvin for high school, right? PG: Yes, actually that’s where I met Medina. He was my yearbook teacher my senior year! DH: Oh, so were you into journalism throughout high school? How did Medina foster that passion for you? PG: Well, I did the yearbook in my 8th-grade year of middle school – it was a super small class and I worked on this skinny little book, but that’s kind of where it started. When I got to high school, I joined the journalism class my freshman year and then went on to try out Rocket Vision, but I realized I liked writing out stories more than reporting them. My senior year, Medina encouraged me to get back to it and just kind of said "Why not? Why don’t you just take the class and we’ll see if we can make something happen." DH: What did you like about writing that you didn’t find in video? PG: I think I just got nervous about talking. When I write, I have the time to think it over and let it flow more naturally
because I’m not so nervous about someone listening to me right then and there. DH: And now you’re into writing short stories right? PG: Yeah, I really like writing short stories. My major is creative writing and kind of got sucked into fiction. I’m not so good at building characters but writing about scenes is what I really enjoy. DH: What kind of things do you like to write about? PG: I’m very fluid right now with my writing, but I like metaphysical short stories a lot right now. It’s basically adding something mythical – like the supernatural or the divine – into the stories. I love those kinds of twists and I think it’s super relevant now because people are a lot more into learning about the signs of the universe. I just think it’s really cool. DH: Do you think you’re going to bring that passion into the magazine? PG: I’d definitely love to. I think El Paso has such an interesting culture and there are so many details that are colloquial to the city, so it would be cool to spruce them up and turn them into a fiction story. DH: Have you met a lot of people that share that interest with you? PG: I come across a lot of random people that are interested in the same thing actually. A lot of people I’ve met are sitting on the most amazing ideas and seeing them work in different writing styles has really inspired me. DH: So, besides writing, how has your experience at UTEP been? PG: I actually really love UTEP. Before I went there, I spent basically my entire life being in bilingual classes, and then I got switched to completely monolingual, which meant I was surrounded by kids I didn’t know and I felt kind of awkward because they weren’t speaking the same language. When I got to UTEP, it was so nice walking around and hearing people speak Spanish to each other and having these huge discussions – it felt like home. Then it would be even cooler to meet people with a bunch of other different accents and from a bunch of different backgrounds because it felt like a true melting pot. DH: Would you say that feeling is special to El Paso? PG: Yeah, I definitely think so. I know there are lots of cities where people are welcoming and friendly but El Paso is just so different. It’s just like a little Mexican town vibe where people are constantly greeting you and going out of their way to make you feel comfortable. When I talk about it in different cities, I have to describe it as its own thing – not really a part of Texas or Mexico or New Mexico even.
When the Student Becomes the Master Who is Deborah Hill? Deborah Hill is a born and raised El Pasoan now living in Austin, Texas. She currently studies journalism at the University of Texas. Since becoming an Austinite, she noticed that the narrative surrounding her hometown was less than what she hoped it would be. Through Disconnected, she hopes to show El Pasoans and Austinites that they’re not so different. More than that, she wants to help the 915 become a place known for its rich cultural identity and young creators. What qualifies her to run Disconnected? Hill has a passion for journalism that’s rooted in a lifelong love of writing. Since starting college and gaining some real journalistic experience, she’s learned a lot about putting out news-worthy and generally interesting journalistic work. Although she’s still learning, she’s agreed to run Disconnected as ethically and honestly as possible - two values she already considers the foundation of all good journalism. How can we trust the content she puts out? All work produced by Hill gets approved by the Medina. Medina is a high school journalism teacher mentored Hill since she was in high school make sure any and all work is done to the thing is meticulously planned out and published. Is she doing this by herself? Will she that way? For now, Hill is the only writer Eventually, we hope to see IMagazine writers, photographers, and other in both El Paso and Austin.
IMagazine publisher, Isaac currently living in El Paso. He’s herself, and together, they’ll best of her abilities. Everyverified before being always be doing it on Disconnected. become a hub for young media creatives
Where else can we see her work? All of Hill’s work can eventually be website. Just a matter of getting it up and
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