Student’s hobby brings some magic to campus
Nathan Rich, junior in LAS and president of the Secret Illini Brotherhood of Magicians, spreads a deck of cards on top of the roof of his car on John Street on Tuesday. Magic and working on his car are two of Rich´s hobbies. Claire Napier
August 26, 2004
A self-described “dork,” junior in LAS Nathan Rich said he is happy doing things out of the ordinary.
“I have hobbies and interests that most people don’t care about,” he said.
One of these hobbies is magic.
Back in high school, Rich said he saw a man doing magic tricks at a booth in a mall. Right then and there he decided to pick up magic.
He started the Secret Illini Brotherhood of Magicians, a registered student organization (RSO), his freshman year as a way to meet people.
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“When we started out, we had three members – my girlfriend, my roommate and me,” Rich said.
The group didn’t go very far, but Rich met some local magicians, including Andy Dallas, the owner of Dallas & Co., a costume and magic store on campus.
“There are some world-class magicians in the Champaign area and they’re my teachers,” Rich said. “They actually wrote some of the tricks I do.”
A group of magicians meets on Saturday afternoons and Wednesday evenings each week to practice tricks and hang out, he said.
Rich said he mostly does tricks with playing cards. He learned the tricks from other magicians, as well as from DVDs, tapes and books.
Although none of his friends do magic, Rich said he is often asked to perform tricks for them and their friends, so he usually comes prepared with a deck of cards in his pocket.
When he’s not performing magic tricks, Rich said he likes to hang out with friends, work on his car and play with his hamster, Charlie Murphy.
After he graduates from the University with a molecular and cellular biology degree, Rich said he plans to go to medical school to become a doctor like both of his parents.
“I’ve always wanted to be a doctor,” he said. “I like helping people and interacting with them.”
Rich’s girlfriend of four years, Lucy Askew, a junior in FAA, said she has known Rich for about five years and has never seen him in a bad mood. In addition, what makes Rich different is his unique sense of humor and style, Askew said.
Even though he insists it’s just a hobby, Rich said he would like to continue doing magic for the rest of his life.
“There’s nothing like seeing people’s reactions,” he said. “That’s what makes it worthwhile.”
