Senior finds magic enchanting

By ALLIE SLOAN
Observers watched closely as he shuffled his miniature stack of cards. He pulled out three more cards, this time with words on them. Observers were completely engrossed in senior Bradley Rohrer Colvin’s tricks. To him, it was second nature.  To others, it was magic.
Colvin has been showing family members, friends and even complete strangers the tricks of magic since he was 11-years-old.
“It’s like a sickness.  Back when I was little and I would go to the library, I would get videos [of magic tricks] and I fell in love with it,” Colvin said. “Now I can’t get enough.”
As Colvin got older the tricks got harder. With a little help from his parents, he was able to buy the tools he needed to further his magician abilities. Landing a gig to shadow a show clown a family friend introduced to him, was a big break for Colvin. Despite the number of times he had performed  before, his stage fright nerves were still there.
“[Before I perform I think] ‘oh my gosh, I can not look stupid!’ I get nerves so bad. I just think about all the practice [I] prepared [myself] for. Then, the rest is magic,” Colvin said.
Even though the magic came easy to him, he was always searching for new card tricks and disappearing acts to show people. The reaction from his peers was what kept his motivation high and the enchantment of his tricks fresh.
“I have created my own and found a lot of different card tricks online.  Learning new tricks is always exciting,” Colvin said. “I love watching people’s eyes light up after you [make] something disappear. Their reactions are priceless.”
Also motivating Colvin to push himself further was the desire to be able to include his name in the group of magicians throughout history. Being influenced by the great works of Robert Houdin, Colvin was privileged to show off some of the same magical tricks that Houdin performed.
“Magic is an honor to me.  I am honored to know tricks that are so old. I find it so cool to be apart of the neat magicians. I feel on top of the world after a gig to know that,” Colvin said.
The love of magic has a special place in Colvin’s heart. He has mastered the tricks of cards and learned that throughout magic, he can feel comfortable in his own skin.
“I can’t put it down.  I always see something that I know I can do magic with. I never go anywhere without my magic props. If I forget them at home, it throws my whole day off.  Magic is just who I am,” Colvin said.