Schools
Magic Happening at Columbia High School
Assistant Principal Michael Healy and the Columbia High School Magic Club put on a show.
High school isn't always a magical time, but it was on Saturday, June 12, when the Columbia High School Magic Club presented their annual show to a near capacity crowd at the CHS Black Box Theater. Shows were presented at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and the first show was filled to near capacity with a large contingent of elementary school-age children and their parents.
Columbia is known for offering a wide assortment of extracurricular choices to its students, and the Magic Club is a perfect example of the diversity of opportunities. The club has been in existence for eight years. It was created under Assistant Principal Michael Healy, who is also the club's faculty advisor.
In addition to his responsibilities at CHS, Healy is a professional magician who has been doing magic for over 40 years, though he wryly remarked to the audience: "I don't look that old, but I am."
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The Magic Club meets on the last Wednesday of every month for approximately one and a half to two hours. In any one year, the club averages about 12 members. According to Healy, each monthly meeting "focuses on a specific type of magic trick, such as coin, card, money or silk." Members then have the responsibility to prepare a trick on this topic for the next month's meeting. For Saturday's show, five club members took the stage to perform the tricks they have learned and perfected throughout the year.
Nicole Federico, who will be a senior in the fall, was the first performer to take the stage. Federico has been performing magic for about a year and was quite comfortable in her interactions with pint-size volunteers from the audience. She was assisted ably by rising senior William Cobbs. Among other feats, Federico was able to make regular CDs change colors, and she turned red, white and blue cloths into an American flag.
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Next on the bill was rising sophomore Conor Davenport, who has also been performing magic for about a year. Davenport's musical accompaniment—"Wild Thing" by Tone Loc—was a nice contrast to his clean-cut look. Davenport proved adept at sleight of hand as he performed a routine making lighted balls appear out of thin air.
Another rising sophomore, Aaron Errzuriz, impressed the crowd with his ability to turn a small magic wand into a wand that could be used by an Olympic pole vaulter. Errzuriz's ability to engage the young audience volunteers with ease earned him applause and accolades from the crowd.
The final performer of the afternoon was a four-year member and president of the CHS Magic Club, Aaron Thomas. It was obvious that Thomas is serious about his craft, since his business card was displayed on the lobby table. Healy mentioned that Thomas books magic shows. Thomas performed several routines, including card tricks and working with metal rings.
After the show, the audience was invited into the Black Box Theater lobby to meet and talk with the performers. Several magic-related products were available for sale at a discounted rate. Enthusiasm among the under 10 age set was strong—boding well for the future of The Magic Club.
Along with the annual Spring Magic Club Show, Healy himself performs in a fall Magic Show at the Black Box Theater with the proceeds helping to fund the Magic Club's yearly activities. Incoming freshmen at Columbia High School will have the opportunity to check out the Magic Club at Freshman Orientation day at the beginning of the next school year.
