Issue date: 7/11/07 Section: News

Media Credit: File - The Battalion [Click to enlarge]

One day, a student was demonstrating card tricks to his peers and caught the eye of another student. The two conjurers-in-the-making impressed each other with different illusions. After several hours bonding over their love for magic, the pair became friends and decided to start one of the first collegiate magic clubs in Texas.

The Order of the Aggie Illusionists (OAI) was founded last year by junior sociology major Cameron Rivers and junior mechanical engineering major Justin Thompson. Their hope for the club was to teach the art of magic and impress Aggieland with their talent.

"I wanted to share magic with people and teach people magic because it's something I love to do," Thompson said.

The founding officers of the OAI started with a general interest in magic that stems from their childhoods. Thompson said he has been interested in magic since he was 5 years old. Rivers said that his first real attempt at a magic trick began in high school when he wanted to learn how to cut a deck of cards with one hand.

"It's really a hobby that becomes a part of you because it's just so much fun," Rivers said.

While the founding members of the OAI are experienced, most of the members of the club are completely new to magic. Most of the club's recruitment is done through performances and individual's interest in the truth behind each illusion.

"Most of them (last year's members) were brand new to magic," said Thompson. "They had never even done a card trick before."

The club acts as an outlet for experienced members to practice and perfect their talent while teaching the basics to the new members. The weekly meetings begin with a performance that leads into an instructional lecture. The tricks start with basic skills and are done with easily obtained objects like a deck of cards or a pack of sugar.

Anyone can learn magic, Rivers said, even people with an intense fear of performing can flourish in the OAI. As a club, they build camaraderie and trust among each other before sharing their talent with audiences.

"It's not just about learning, it's also about performing," said Thompson.

Continued...

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