Murugi Thande (’13) is one of the many creative students here at North Point. The talent that is expressed when she is given a camera is what separates her from the rest.
Her interest in photography began when she was only a fifth grader. “I started making my own animations and little weird videos that no one quite understood; I was expressing myself,” said Thande. She used a computer game, The Sims, to make her videos. That is when she started to add music to the videos she made.
Making videos was a hobby that Thande quickly adjusted to. After making so many videos over the years, Thande has developed a skillful set of skills. Thande said, “I play around with it all the time and every time I do it I like to make the best of it.” Because of her ability to use a camera very well, Thande holds the position of photo editor for this newspaper. Not only does she take pictures for the Eagle Eye, but she also takes pictures for The Urban Journalism Workshop for National Public Radio. Thande basically has her own job since she gets money in return for those pictures. “I like to challenge myself and explore different parts of it,” she added.
Whenever Thande has the opportunity to make a video for a class project, she takes full advantage of it. Her self-expression is even shown in her class projects. For example, in Thande’s AP Language class, she handed in her group video project that she directed, and her teacher, Mr. Williams said, “It was very creative. She brought a very unique perspective to the assignment. She definitely made it her own. She went beyond what I expected from the assignment.” Thande’s style is what makes her work so original. “My parents like to brag about me a lot,” mentioned Thande. With the help of her parents, the word got out about a teenage video guru; this is how she landed multiple jobs.
The importance of taking pictures and video taping are very much the same to her. “Photography and video goes hand in hand,” said Thande. The skill of taking pictures is needed when video-taping. “You learn how to use composition with photography and apply it to your video. Therefore both of them are equally as important to me,” added Thande. With all the videos and pictures Thande has made in her past, she just could not get rid of any of them. Thande said, “I hoard everything I have ever made so when I get older I can see the evolution over time.”
Thande believes that there is always room to grow. She stated, “The extra time I have is dedicated toward skill building.” Thande is very dedicated to her hobby; She is often found perfecting her skills at the floors of the basketball games or taking a photo for the Eagle Eye.