Upload
tsukamoto-sasagawa
View
47
Download
2
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
1
Introduction
Magic is a performing art that entertains an audience by creating illusions of
seemingly impossible or supernatural feats, using purely natural means. These feats are
called magic tricks, effects or illusions. Those who perform such illusions are called
magicians or illusionists.
The term “magic” is etymologically derived from the Latin word ‘magi’, which
was used to refer to Zoroastians. Performances we would now recognize as conjuring
have probably been practiced throughout history. However, the profession of the
illusionist gained strength only in the 18th century, and has enjoyed several popular
vogues.
In 1584, Reginald Scot published The Discoverie of Witchcraft. It was written in
an attempt to show that witches did not exist, by exposing how (apparently miraculous)
feats of magic were done. The book is often deemed the first textbook about conjuring.
All obtainable copies were burned, however, on the accession of James I in 1603 and
those remaining are now rare.
Many of the principles of stage magic are old. There is an expression, “It’s all
done with smoke and mirrors”, used to explain something baffling, but effects seldom use
mirrors today. Modern performers have vanished objects as large as the Taj Mahal, the
Statue of Liberty, and a space shuttle, using other kinds of optical deceptions.
2
Because of the secretive nature of magic, research can sometimes be a challenge –
but the researchers are willing to overcome them for you, their reader. Many magic
resources are held privately and most libraries only have small collections of magicana.
However, organizations exist to band together independent collectors, writers, and
researchers with interest in magic history; but these organizations exist only in foreign
countries and only allow members to access their vast collection. Many books about
magic are written every year, but the ones that are helpful and informative are extremely
hard to find, especially at local libraries. The researchers hope that by making use of
certain books, the Internet, and some of their closest friends, they may provide you with a
truly unforgettable experience regarding their research.
Statement of the Problem
The research hopes to answer the following questions:
1. What are the benefits of magic?
2. How do illusions and sleight-of-hand work?
3. Can ‘Scientific’ magic really be considered ‘magic’?
4. How can Psychology be applied to all forms of magic?
5. What are the necessary skills of a magician?
6. Should magic be shared to ordinary persons?
7. How many people aspire to be magicians nowadays?
3
Significance of the Study
This research aims to help those interested in performing magic tricks, those who
are interested or curious about conjuring, and even those who don’t particularly like
magic but would like to entertain other people. There is no age limit to the people who
will benefit from this because even though this is a study about magic, we will also
briefly discuss the various subconscious processes at work and how to implement simple
and easy to understand techniques to gain positive responses from all kinds of audiences.
Newspaper journalists, book authors, writers, singers, and even ordinary students writing
a school essay would greatly benefit from our various first-hand experiences about trying
to please their readers.
This study is very significant to even the common reader because not only will it
try to shed some light on the dark and mysterious nature of magic, but also give them
great advice that can be useful even outside at school. In short, this is a must read for
those who want to learn how to use concepts in magic and apply these in real life to gain
the upper hand or edge against any obstacle or problem and be successful in life.
4
Scope & Limitation of the Study
This research paper is for all the students, teachers, faculty members, and other
officials of Baliuag University and other institutes. In fact, this work is so non-exclusive
it can be read by any person from any school or organization. For students, both high
school and college, no matter what course they are taking, they can benefit greatly from
this work and so will the professors and teachers, no matter that subject/s they are
teaching.
We estimate this research will remain valid for at least 20 years, because we try
our best to be updated in all the new concepts and procedures about magic. We also try to
put timeless lessons, precious advice that will always be helpful regardless of how much
time passes. We hope that through our undying efforts and the participation of the people
around us, we can finish writing a wholesome, informative and helpful research work for
all kinds of people.
5
Objectives
This research aims to:
1. Briefly explain the various techniques of performing magic
2. Help the reader become interested in magic
3. Teach the reader important concepts in becoming a magician
4. Explain important concepts in magic and how these can be applied in everyday life
5. Give the reader helpful information on how to generate positive responses from all
kinds of audiences
6. Explain in detail what makes a good magician/performer
7. Give advice to other researchers and future researchers on magic
6
Definition of Terms
Below are some of the terms worthy of taking note about magic. These are some of the
various forms of performing magic, but there are much more not covered in this research:
Production. The magician produces something from nothing—a rabbit from an empty
hat, a fan of cards from thin air, a shower of coins from an empty bucket, a dove from a
pan, or the magician him or herself, appearing in a puff of smoke on an empty stage.
Vanish. The magician makes something disappear—a coin, a cage of doves, milk
from a newspaper, an assistant from a cabinet, or even the Statue of Liberty. A vanish,
being the reverse of a production, may use a similar technique, in reverse.
Transformation. The magician transforms something from one state into another—a
silk handkerchief changes colour, a lady turns into a tiger, an indifferent card changes to
the spectator's chosen card. A transformation can be seen as a combination of a vanish
and a production.
Restoration. The magician destroys an object, then restores it back to its original
state—a rope is cut, a newspaper is torn, a woman is sawn in half, a borrowed watch is
smashed to pieces—then they are all restored to their original state.
Teleportation. The magician causes something to move from one place to another
—a borrowed ring is found inside a ball of wool, a canary inside a light bulb, an assistant
7
from a cabinet to the back of the theatre. When two objects exchange places, it is called a
transposition: a simultaneous, double teleportation.
Escape. The magician is placed in a restraining device (i.e. handcuffs or a
straitjacket) or a death trap, and escapes to safety. Examples include being put in a
straitjacket and into an overflowing tank of water, and being tied up and placed in a car
being sent through a car crusher.
Levitation. The magician defies gravity, either by making something float in the air
—a silver ball floats around a cloth, an assistant floats in mid-air, a scarf dances in a
sealed bottle, etc.
Penetration. The magician makes a solid object pass through another—a set of steel
rings link and unlink, a candle penetrates an arm, swords pass through an assistant in a
basket, a saltshaker penetrates the table-top, a man walks through a mirror.
Prediction. The magician predicts the choice of a spectator, or the outcome of an
event under seemingly impossible circumstances—a newspaper headline is predicted, the
total amount of loose change in the spectator's pocket, a picture drawn on a slate.
These are but a few of the terms we will encounter, but rest assured most of the
difficult words have already been simplified by our proofreaders. Let’s move on to the
next chapter!
8
Benefits of Magic
Often after a magician finishes his performance, a round of applause from amused
audiences can be heard, expressing their joy, wonder, amazement and awe. Usually a
person can also feel inspired and revitalized after viewing such a show. What benefits can
we derive from being mentally-jogged after a magic show? What are the good effects of
happiness, which is achieved by just one of the many methods like magic?
“A cheerful heart is a good medicine.” This quote, from the Book of Proverbs
(17:22), just might say it all. Happiness is good for us – it brings us physical, mental, and
emotional health. Most of us agree, and we know there’s something worthwhile about
being happy.
But how do we know we’re happy? That question might not be easy to answer. In
fact, happiness is hard to define. But one thing’s for sure, we know it when we “feel” it.
Something inside us tells us when we’re feeling happy. We can sense it, but how often do
we feel happy? What percentage of the time? Studies tell us that the average American
feels happy about 54% of the time, neutral about 25% of the time, and unhappy about
21% o f the time.
9
Is there a magical amount of happiness that will bring us the benefits of good
health? In the past few years, psychologists have begun to study positive emotions such
as happiness. Dr. Martin Seligman, in his book Authentic Happiness, summarizes
research indicating that people who are happy: do better in social relationships, use their
intelligence more efficiently, are more optimistic, have better physical health, and are
more creative. Let’s take a closer look..
Social Relationships
Happiness promotes social relations and inspires people to have more social
contact. This seems pretty obvious. Studies show that positive people rate high on having
good relationships with themselves and with others. They enjoy better romantic
relationships as well. Also, happy people in general have more empathy – they care more
about others.
Intelligence
Happy people are not any smarter, on the average, than those who are sad, but
happy people have the ability to use their intelligence more effectively. Some studies
suggest that people who are feeling happy can learn better in many situations, and are
faster and more accurate in coming up with appropriate answers to complex problems.
Optimism
First of all, it’s interesting that happy and sad people experience about the same
amounts of negative and positive life events. But studies show that happy people dwelled
10
on the positive more often. People who are positive remember the good events in their
lives more readily, while they tend to remember fewer of the unhappy times, and vice
versa. Similarly, when confronted with a problem, happy people believe they will soon
regain control of their lives while unhappy people are more skeptical.
Physical Health
Studies show that happy people have better health habits. They have lower blood
pressure and their immune systems are more resistant. In a broad-based study of adults
aged 65 and older, it was shown that positive emotion was a strong predictor of how long
people lived. Happy people in the study were half as likely to die and half as likely to
become disabled as compared to people who were generally sad. There’s another
fascinating and perhaps unusual scientific finding – those who live happy lives have a
greater tolerance for physical pain than those who are sad.
Creativity
Happiness correlates with a greater capacity for creative thinking. If we’re
generally happy, we tend to be more creative and also have a better knack for strategic
planning. On the other hand, when critical thinking is required, we do better when we
remain bland emotionally, more serious and less happy. Being sad or happy doesn’t
interfere with calculating numbers, developing a budget, or making a decision about
which car to buy.
(Of course, these are not the only benefits of being happy. There are lots more,
but we won’t be focusing on them.) So happiness has its benefits. It’s not everything in
11
life but if there were a way to boost our happiness, it would be worth considering, right?
This is where various positive activities, such as spending time with your family, doing
your hobbies and watching magic shows apply.
Magic also has some benefits for the performer too. Aside from the popularity and
publicity, it also boosts one’s self-confidence and creativity, keeps one physically and
mentally fit, and helps one feel positive and fulfilled.
Optical Illusions
“ An optical illusion (also called a visual illusion) is characterized by visually
perceived images that differ from objective reality. The information gathered by the eye
is processed in the brain to give a percept that does not tally with a physical measurement
of the stimulus source. There are three main types: literal optical illusions that create
images that are different from the objects that make them, physiological ones that are the
effects on the eyes and brain of excessive stimulation of a specific type (brightness, tilt,
color, movement), and cognitive illusions where the eye and brain make unconscious
inferences. They can also be known as ‘mind games’. ”
In this research, we will be focusing on the Cognitive optical illusions because
these are less understood by the average person. Cognitive illusions are assumed to arise
by interaction with assumptions about the world, leading to "unconscious inferences", an
12
idea first suggested in the 19th century by Hermann Helmholtz. Cognitive illusions are
commonly divided into ambiguous illusions, distorting illusions, or paradox illusions.
1. Ambiguous illusions are pictures or objects that elicit a perceptual 'switch'
between the alternative interpretations.
The Rubin Vase is well-known example of an ambiguous illusion where a single
picture may give a person many (usually two) interpretations. Seen here are a white vase,
and a silhouette of two people facing each other.
2. Distorting illusions are characterized by distortions of size, length, or curvature.
The line above seems shorter than the one below, but the lines are actually the same length!
3. Paradox illusions are generated by objects that are paradoxical or impossible.
13
.
The Penrose stairs is an impossible object created
by Lionel Penrose and his son Roger Penrose. It is a
two-dimensional depiction of a staircase in which the
stairs make four 90-degree turns as they ascend or
descend yet form a continuous loop, so that a person
could climb them forever and never get any higher.
This is clearly impossible in three dimensions; the two-dimensional figure achieves this
paradox by distorting perspective.
How it Works:
To make sense of the world it is necessary to organize incoming sensations into
information which is meaningful. Gestalt psychologists believe one way this is done is by
perceiving individual sensory stimuli as a meaningful whole. The Gestalt theory can be
used to explain the illusory contours in the Kanizsa Triangle.
A floating white triangle, which does not exist, is seen. The brain has a need to
see familiar simple objects and has a tendency to create a "whole" image from individual
elements. However, another explanation of the Kanizsa Triangle is based in evolutionary
psychology and the fact that in order to survive it was important to see form and edges.
14
The use of perceptual organization to create meaning out of stimuli is the principle
behind other well-known illusions including impossible objects. Our brain makes sense
of shapes and symbols putting them together like a jigsaw puzzle, formulating that which
isn't there to that which is believable.
Although the concept of optical illusions in stage magic are the same, magicians
seldom use these kinds of images to fool an audience, and instead rely on perfect timing
and suggestion to achieve a desired effect. Mirrors and lighting are also a good example.
Sleight of Hand
Sleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation ("quick fingers") or legerdemain,
is the set of techniques used by a magician to manipulate objects such as cards and coins
secretly. For example, a one peso coin suddenly becomes a five peso coin, or a small ball
goes missing after being put under a glass. It relies heavily on the speed of one’s hands
and the precise timing and manipulation of objects without arousing the spectator’s
suspicion.
Sleight of hand is not a separate branch of magic, but rather one of the means
used by a magician to produce an effect. Advanced sleight of hand requires months or
years of practice before it can be performed proficiently in front of spectators. Sleight of
hand is mostly employed in close-up magic, but it can also be used in stage magic. There
are hundreds of different sleights at the performer's disposal, but they can generally be
classified into groups such as switches, changes, and others.
15
There are several stories about magicians using sleight of hand in real life, such as
when American illusionist David Copperfield used sleight of hand to fool a mugger into
thinking he had nothing in his pockets, even though he was carrying a cell phone,
passport and wallet.
How it Works
It is commonly believed that sleight of hand works because “the hand is quicker
than the eye” but this is usually not the case. In addition to manual dexterity, sleight of
hand depends on the use of psychology, misdirection, and natural choreography in
accomplishing a magical effect. Misdirection is perhaps the most important component of
the art of sleight of hand. The magician choreographs his actions so that all spectators are
likely to look where he or she wants them to. More importantly, they do not look where
the performer does not wish them to look. Two types of misdirection are time and
movement. Time is simple; by allowing a small amount of time to pass after an action,
events are skewed in the viewer's mind. Movement is a little more complicated. A phrase
often used is "A larger action covers a smaller action." But care must be used to not make
the larger action so big that it becomes suspicious.
The magicians Penn and Teller have been known to, as part of their act, explain
sleight of hand while demonstrating it with a performance by Teller, appearing to merely
dispose of an old cigarette and light a new cigarette. Teller is, in fact, simply hiding and
replacing the same cigarette without ever putting it out. While Teller performs, Penn
describes what he is doing, and explains the seven principles of Sleight of Hand.
16
The Seven Principles are:
Palm - To hold an object in an apparently empty hand.
Ditch - To secretly dispose of an unneeded object.
Steal - To secretly obtain a needed object.
Load - To secretly move an object to where it is needed.
Simulation - To give the impression that something that has not happened, has.
Misdirection - To lead attention away from a secret move.
Switch - To secretly exchange one object for another.
These principles of sleight of hand concept were created by Penn & Teller for their effect and routine.
The following isn’t a precise instruction on how to learn actual sleight of hand
tricks, but instead focuses on teaching the basic ideas and principles needed to be
successful in learning the tricks.
How To Learn Sleight of Hand & Manipulation
By: Olde Rabbit
This is a standard post/lecture I put on the board here every so often, for the
beginners, who are getting into sleight of hand or manipulation magic, and need to know
what's ahead, and how best to learn it.
Manipulation and Sleight of Hand magic are performed by so few magicians
because they are difficult to learn. It takes a lot of practice, discipline, and patience.
Which most magicians, both pro and amateur, don't have. The advantage to learning this
type of magic is that it looks more like true magic to audiences, and the magicians will
hold you in great respect for having the determination to get it down. When you first
17
learn sleight of hand, your first big worry is that you try the sleights and they don't work.
Your hands are too big, or too small, or the object just won't move right, or won't stay
where it should and falls on the floor.
The truth of the matter is, no one can do most sleight of hand and manipulation
moves the first time. Sometime you won't be able to do it for a week. But if you keep
trying, you'll eventually be able to do it, maybe even only 1 time out of 10, but you'll be
able to do it. And if you keep practicing, your chances of doing it successfully will
increase, until you can do it correctly and successfully each time. The problem with doing
the move isn't really that your hands are too big or small. It's that you have to use
different muscles that you haven’t used before, or use the same muscles in different ways.
This takes training, and training takes time. So when you are trying to learn a sleight or
manipulation move, first follow the instructions to the letter. Pay attention to each detail,
such as what part of the card or coin or ring touches what part of which finger, etc. This
is important. It is detail which can overwhelm you if you let it, but don't. Take it very
slow, and get it right.
Then, each day if possible, set aside some time to work on your moves. You want
to be relaxed, and in a good mood. Tommy Wonder suggests putting on favorite music to
help you relax and feel comfortable. You want to work on your new moves for only
about 10-15 minutes each, and keep the session down to about an hour at the most. If
your hands start to get tired, or you get tired, or your concentration drifts, stop. You can't
force yourself to learn new stuff when you're not at your peak, or your hands are stiff
and/or sore. Don't worry about the whole effect yet, and don't worry about not being able
18
to "get it". Just keep working on it, and telling yourself it will come. It will, believe me, if
you do keep working on it.
The first stage you'll reach is when you realize you can do the move without
looking at the instructions or pictures. As soon as that happens, you want to sort of shift
gears, trying to make it all the way thru the trick each time. Divide up your practice
sessions so you go thru the effect a few times, then work on specific moves which are
shaky, then go thru the whole effect or routine again. Starting to do the whole trick or
routine as soon as you can do the moves without looking at the instructions is very
important. Sleight of Hand and Manipulation rely on the routine to provide the magic.
Most sleights or manip moves by themselves are not magical, and often wouldn't fool
anyone. But when presented as a series of small mysteries within a routine, each mystery
builds on the previous ones, ending in an effect which is truly magical, and leaves your
audience totally fooled as to how you accomplished it.
As you practice your routine, you'll still find the moves won’t work some of the
time. Just keep working. After a while you'll find they work most of the time. And
finally, perhaps several weeks or even months down the road, you'll realize they are
working every time. But don't stop there. Keep working on the routine until the handling
becomes automatic, so you don't have to watch your hands, or think about what is coming
next. You just start the routine, go into automatic, and it progresses to the end. At this
point you can perform for your friends and relatives. You'll be comfortable enough doing
the routine you won't have to think hard while doing it. You'll have confidence as you've
19
done it so many times. And while you're performing, you can watch the faces of your
audience, come up with entertaining things to say, judge how you are going over, etc.
So that's how you learn sleight of hand and manipulation. It takes a long time, and
a lot of work. But when you have an effect mastered, you'll be doing it for the rest of your
life. You'll knock your audiences over with incredible magic, and knock other magicians
over with your skill and determination. And you'll be so proud of yourself, you won't be
able to sit still!
This applies to sleight of hand with all different types of objects, such as coins,
cards, ropes, balls, parasols, anything you can think of. Also Routine Manipulation
effects like Cups & Balls, Linking Rings, etc. Think of it as similar to learning to play a
musical instrument. You go thru an awkward stage, when people would probably prefer
you don't perform. Then you start getting it down. Then you increase gradually until you
impress the Heck out of everyone, including yourself. Good Luck!
‘Scientific’ Magic
Scientific magic, strictly speaking, is a new kind of magic where tricks rely more
on chemical reactions and knowledge of Science and Physics laws than trickery. The
audience reactions are basically the same because it also seems to defy logic, much like
traditional magic on stage does. Some examples would be putting a hard-boiled egg
inside a bottle without destroying the bottle, setting paper money on fire without the
20
money burning up, and making large bubbles that can envelop a person or group of
persons without popping.
There have been numerous debates about whether ‘Scientific’ magic, or magic
tricks performed by utilizing the various Scientific laws, should be considered ‘true’
magic because they require very little of the cunning, skill and trickery of traditional
magicians and instead rely on knowledge of the various chemicals and their reactions
under the right circumstances. After looking at various examples of Scientific magic
online, such as turning water into a wine-colored mixture by using Phenolphthalein and a
Ph Indicator or using electricity to make water dance, and finding that plenty of sites are
now acknowledging these tricks as ‘magic tricks’ anyway, it is our opinion that Scientific
magic may indeed be considered a ‘branch’ of magic, but not all of its tricks will be as
amazing as sawing a woman in half or making people float in midair.
Psychology in All Forms of
Magic
Magicians nowadays are also tapping into the weaknesses of our mind as well as
the eyes. They are now using scientific knowledge to aid them in fooling their audience
into thinking something which is not, as is the primary element of an illusion.
21
Several experiments were conducted to find out if magicians really did ‘trick’ the
audience’s brain into perceiving something that never actually happened, and whether the
magician’s actions, hand gestures and mannerisms had anything to do with it. Firstly, it
shows that it doesn’t matter where the audience is looking at a magic performance – the
magician can somehow “direct” their attention to something else, and during all this, he
gains time to prepare for the climax of his trick that is the part the entire audience cannot
miss. Also, the magician may use a series of ‘suggestive’ mind play, for example a
magician tosses a ball up into the air ten or twenty times and catches it each time. On the
last toss, the magician hides the ball in his palm and only ‘pretends’ to toss the ball into
the air, all the while making the same gestures such as looking up and pretending to try
and catch it. Almost nobody notices the magician tossed nothing into the air and they are
fooled into thinking the magician somehow made it vanish. This concludes that a
magician must be able to attract the audience’s attention into something such as an empty
box or palm, almost effortlessly because they are too busy keeping an eye on all of his
‘suspicious’ movements, not noticing his true intentions.
The following excerpt from The Psychology of Magic supports the concepts
mentioned previously:
“ In order to be successful, magicians also rely on psychology. Psychology is the
science that deals with the way our brains work and how we behave as a result.
Magicians rely on their knowledge of psychology and specifically memory, perception
(how we recognize and interpret things we see, hear, taste, touch, or smell according to
information stored in our brains,) and deception (the act of misleading someone into
22
believing something that is false) in order to practice their art. Using psychology, they
create an “effect” (what the audience sees or perceives). The way that they do this is
called the method. Author Simon Singh describes the method as “the magician’s secret
way of achieving the effect.” Often, psychology is used to disguise the method and
separate it from the effect. The audience will then see the effect, but not the method.
Physical misdirection is one way magicians use psychology to disguise their
method. Through physical misdirection, the magician can direct the audience’s attention
to something, and while they are focused on that, the magician can perform the trickery
elsewhere, totally unnoticed. Misdirection works because of psychological principles,
like the tendency of the human mind to be easily distracted by movement or the
introduction of something new, and the tendency to look where others are looking. A
simple example follows: A magician shows an empty hat, then turns to introduce his
assistant. As he looks toward her, so does the audience. The assistant trips coming onto
the stage and while the audience’s attention is on her, the magician sneaks a rabbit into
the empty hat.
In mental misdirection, a magician misdirects the audience’s suspicion rather than
their attention. The magician, in other words, uses a “false method,” doing the trick in
such a way that the audience thinks they know how it works, but in the end are still left
baffled. As the audience focuses on the false method, they miss the real one, and their
attempts to figure out how the trick is done fail. ”
In short, Psychology can be applied to all forms of magic by simply keeping the
basic principle: “Keep your audience guessing, try to direct their attention where you
23
want them to focus, and keep their attention AWAY from where you DON’T want them
to look. You can also use certain gestures and actions to convince them to do something
subconsciously: for example, when you see someone on the street focused on something
and looking upwards, doesn’t it make you want to look up too? It works 99% of the time!
Necessary Skills of a Magician
The following is a tutorial on how to be a magician from Wikihow:
Are you good at some magic tricks? Do you want to be a good magician? After
reading this tutorial, you will know how to be a successful magic performer (even if you
never knew any magic tricks).
1. To start, watch other magicians do their stuff. Masters of the art know what an
audience wants to see, so pay attention to what types of tricks and what styles modern
magicians use.
2. Now, learn some magic. Do not, however, buy a beginner's magic set (unless
you're a kid). Apply the stuff you learned from modern magicians and decide what type
of act you want to do. There are 7 kinds: street, close up, parlor, stage, escape, mentalism,
and grand illusions.
3. Have some tricks of your own. No one wants to see an unoriginal magic act
being performed over and over. Of course, you should have some (or many) old and
famous magic tricks in your act (such as the cups and balls). The public may enjoy some
old classics (like the Miser's Dream), but you should avoid certain old classics, like
24
pulling a rabbit out of a hat (you can instead make it appear in a box). Here's how to think
of your own original tricks (only do this if you understand the process and working of
magic): Think of an idea that has never been done before. For example, make strings
disappear from a guitar. Then, decide how you will accomplish the effect. Now, think of
a way to make the trick convincing. Make some equipment, if necessary. You might even
need to duplicate objects with which you're working on. Once you've got all the parts
planned out, start practicing the trick.
4. Develop a unique style of performing. Don't steal others' styles. You may take
an old (dead) magician's style and put a unique twist on it, but never take a modern
magician's style. It's better to have a unique style and perform previously performed
tricks, rather than take someone else's style and perform your own tricks.
5. Get organized. Before performing a show, be sure to rehearse it many times. You
also might need to know how the room you perform in is designed. If you're performing
at a party at your friend's house, that's not really necessary. Just make sure there's no one
behind you. Your equipment should be made properly. Be sure to check if everything
works. Also, try to merge several tricks together to create a new effect. For example, after
you turn a ball into a tissue, make a coin appear out of the tissue; then, make the coin go
through your hand...
6. Make your own equipment. If you can't produce your own equipment, ask some
of your friends to do it for you, or go to a magic store or website and buy the equipment.
Also, you might consider making people to help you as your assistants during your tricks
25
(You already gave away the secret of many tricks to them, so why not make them part of
the show?).
7. Get a good costume. A traditional costume for magician is a black jacket, a red
formal vest that goes under it, and a pair of black pants that go with the jacket. The jacket
should have many little pockets on its inside for storage of secret coins, cards, balls, etc.
The vest should have big pockets on the inside so you can make big objects, such as
plates, disappear/appear. And pants should have two pockets, one on each side. The
pocket should be long and made under the folded part of the pants. Also consider using
the same basic outline of the costume to create a more modern one. One thing is certain:
you should dress a little nicer than the people you will be performing for.
8. Improve the flexibility of your arms, fingers and hands. Start with coin
manipulation. It's easiest to master, but is still hard. Learn how to palm the coin on your
hand. Find a spot in your palm where the coin will stick the most even if you open/close
your hand, or turn it upside down. Then, learn creating illusions (like pretending to put an
object in your other hand when really it’s still located in the first hand). After mastering
coin manipulation, you can move on to ball manipulation and, finally, card manipulation.
9 Develop some artistic talent and sense of humor. Try to narrate or tell a story
with your tricks. Be very humorous and funny (unless your style is to be mysterious or
serious). If your magic act is boring, no one would want to watch it. You might also want
music playing during your act, just to make it more exciting. Sound effects would be cool
too. But do not make an act with only music and no talking.
26
Tips:
Never warn the public about what you're going to do in your act (unless it's part of the
plan to fool the public), or *Never show the same magic trick right after doing it the
first time, no matter how much the audience begs you. Only exception would be if you
know another way to do the trick.
Never explain the secret of the trick (this is exposure and harms other magicians) to
anyone just to show off your "mad magic skills", because it can spread pretty quickly.
If you plan on writing a book "100 Best Magic Tricks Explained", that is alright
because it will only be bought by magicians and those with a sincere interest in magic.
Never perform the trick if you haven't practiced it enough. You have to be an expert in
your tricks and they should be very easy for you. If the tricks are hard to perform, don't
rely on your luck.
Don't be embarrassed if you mess up in front of your public. If you can't fix it without
anyone noticing, just play along with your public. Laugh with the crowd as if the trick
was planned to be unsuccessful, then move on to the next trick without making any
comments on last one.
Never argue with the audience. If someone makes a negative comment (for example,
"I think I saw an extra penny behind your back!"), don't be distracted. Just ignore the
comment and continue the trick. Be humorous and only answer public's
questions/comments (if necessary) after you're done with your trick.
27
Practice a lot. The more you practice, the better your tricks will be. Don't just practice
once, rather every day for a week, month, or however long it takes for you to
COMPLETELY master the trick. You can even practice in front of a mirror to see
what it will look like in front of the audience.
Speak clearly. Try talking with a pencil in your teeth to help enunciate your words
more. You might also consider using a mike so people can hear you better. Lapel mike
are great and they free up both hands.
Warnings:
Never perform a trick if you haven't rehearsed it properly. You have to have a trick
mastered when you're performing it.
Do NOT whatsoever, and I really mean this, do NOT teach anybody your big amazing
tricks. (The tricks that aren't that big of a deal like making a ball vanish you can teach
if you want to but just not your big amazing tricks) Have fun!!!
Things You'll Need:
1) Equipment for every trick
2) Community to perform in (doesn't matter how big)
3) Some tricks
4) Unique Style
5) Artistic Talent/Sense of Humor
6) A Lot of Practice
7) Confidence
8) Smile
28
Sharing Magic
Usually after a performance, some of the audience gather up their courage and
come to speak with the magician backstage and ask them about their tricks. A ‘no’ can be
expected from the magician of course, because as mentioned earlier, revealing how a
trick is done to normal persons might harm other magicians and can result to other
undesirable consequences as seen below:
“ The purpose of a magic trick is to amuse and create a feeling of wonderment.
The audience is generally aware that the magic is performed using trickery, and derives
enjoyment from the magician's skill and cunning. Traditionally, magicians refuse to
reveal the methods behind their tricks to the audience. Reasons for secrecy include the
following:
Exposure is claimed to "kill" magic as an artform and transforms it into mere
intellectual puzzles and riddles. It is argued that once the secret of a trick is revealed to
a person, that one can no longer fully enjoy subsequent performances of that magic, as
the amazement is missing. Sometimes the secret is so simple that the audience feels let
down, and feels disappointed it was taken in so easily.
Keeping the secrets preserves the mystery of professional magicians.
29
Membership in professional magicians' organizations often requires a solemn
commitment to the Magician's Oath never to reveal the secrets of magic to non-
magicians. The Magician's Oath may vary, but typically takes the following or similar
form:
"As a magician I promise never to reveal the secret of any illusion to a non-
magician, unless that one swears to uphold the Magician's Oath in turn. I promise
never to perform any illusion for any non-magician without first practicing the effect
until I can perform it well enough to maintain the illusion of magic."
Once sworn to the Oath, one is considered a magician, and is expected to live up
to this promise. Magicians who reveal secrets, either purposely or through insufficient
practice, may find that other magicians are unwilling to teach them any more secrets.
However, it is considered permissible to reveal secrets to individuals who are
determined to learn magic and become magicians. The secrets of almost all magical
effects are available to the public through numerous books and magazines devoted to
magic. There are also web sites which offer videos, DVDs and instructional materials. In
this sense, there are very few classical illusions left unrevealed, but this does not appear
to have diminished the appeal of performances. In addition, magic is a living art, and new
30
illusions are devised with surprising regularity. Sometimes a 'new' illusion will be built
on an illusion that is old enough to have become unfamiliar. ”
In order to gauge how many students interested in magic believe that methods
regarding magic tricks should be kept hidden from the public, we have implemented a
short survey. The results are as follows:
Out of 100 sheets, 40 answered they would tell it to their parents and friends, 25
answered they would tell it to their fans if asked nicely, and 20 said they would only tell
it to other magicians, while the remaining 15 said they wouldn’t tell it to anybody. Nearly
half of the applicants can’t seem to hold in the urge to tell their secrets. When asked why
some wouldn’t tell it to others, they said that the magic would be gone if everybody knew
how it was done, and some wanted it to remain a secret!
31
New Wave of Magicians in the
Present
One would think that a trade that’s at least 2000 years old would lose its
popularity in this day and age, but with magic, that isn’t necessarily the case. In fact, new
magicians are bred every year, and the candidates are getting younger and younger. It
would seem that no matter how many times we’ve seen that woman get sawn in half,
observed that watch get smashed to pieces and returned to normal again, or gawked at
pigeons that fly out of an empty hat, we never get tired of it. This suggests that our
insatiable appetite for amusement never wanes, even through the generations. Here in the
Philippines, we also have new magicians, as seen on TV and even at local parties and
school events. Some students even perform for extra-curricular activities in some
institutes. So, why do we have such interest in performing magic? Here in Baliuag, we
have conducted a survey to see how many students are considering to be a magician, even
at least for part-time jobs, and why. The results:
32
Out of 100 sheets, 20 answered they wanted to become magicians when they were
kids but not anymore, 5 wanted to become famous magicians on TV someday, and 20
said they prefer to watch magic shows rather than perform in them, while the remaining
55 said they weren’t interested in becoming a magician at all. The sad fact is, (and we too
were a little surprised), more than half of the participants said they weren’t interested in
magic! I guess that’s why Baliuag University only had ONE magician at the talent show
held last year in the high school department…
Magic in Everyday Life
You don’t have to be a magician to be able to make audiences give you applause.
Likewise, magic tricks are only one of the many ways you can generate positive
responses from your audiences. No matter what job, age or gender group you’re in, you
can always make audiences happy regardless of your capabilities. You just have to be
able to do the right things at the right time. We will now discuss how the different
concepts of magic can be applied in everyday life, and to your advantage.
One concept of magic that comes in handy is the concept of catching the
audience’s attention. When you’re talking to someone, you want that person to pay
33
attention to every word you’re saying; otherwise you’d look like an idiot. However in
seminars, speeches and other major events, average people, especially students, rarely
pay attention to the speaker. Why is this so? The first reason is that, despite the speaker’s
claims that his/her topic is extremely relevant and important, students aren’t that
interested to begin with. They tend to focus their attention elsewhere, chat amongst
themselves, play games on their cell phones, or even sleep. This results in everyone –
including the speaker himself/herself – wasting their time.
This can easily be avoided by eliminating two barriers: first, the audience’s
fleeting attention and second, the short span of it. Aside from stating how relevant a topic
is, you must also introduce it in an enticing manner by, for example, starting out with a
joke or life experience when you were yourself a student. This helps the listeners identify
with you and get interested. In magic this can often be seen when a clown at a children’s
party performs magic while telling a story like, “There was once a poor man named
Pedro, and he had three sons – Juan, Tomas and Cosme.” and instead of the regular
routine of tricks, the children also ride along and enjoy every minute of the performance.
You can expect a positive response every time. This concept also applies to writing and
other media.
The second barrier can be eliminated by presenting your topic in an easy-to-
understand manner. Today’s intellectual youth get bored easily, especially when a
speaker just reads a piece of paper in a dull, boring voice. We don’t intend to offend the
speakers of the Philippines, but speeches and seminars held in the native language
(Tagalog or Filipino) really do give better results than seminars held in English. This can
34
be explained by the fact that most students have difficulty listening to English speakers,
and that difficult words gets them bored easily. It’s a real shame, especially when we are
known as the best English-speaking country in Asia. Perhaps when we have educated
our people enough, we can hold English seminars and achieve the same level of good
outputs.
Another concept is knowing how to keep face. Everybody makes mistakes every
now and then, but during important events like Presidential speeches and news reports on
TV, one must be extra careful in handling the scenario. Some people are unknowingly
applying this principle in everyday life – for example, Mike Enriquez often says “Excuse
me po!” whenever he coughs live on 24 Oras. You can’t apologize to a large crowd
because you mispronounced a name or forgot to address your superior officers during a
speech – one must always make it look natural so only few people notice the mistake. In
magic, the more serious and mysterious of the magicians almost never make mistakes –
and it’s virtually impossible to spot the mistake because they make it look like it was part
of the act. This helps prevent humiliation and embarrassment on multiple occasions.
Being prepared is another ‘basic’ concept of magic that we do in everyday life.
This can be very rewarding at times, especially during rush-hours and unplanned trips.
The items you should keep handy depend largely on your vision of near-future events.
For example, one wouldn’t bring his books when he goes hiking up on the mountains; but
an extra bottle of water while travelling around a desert or city is a no-brainer.
35
Master your audience. You would do well to keep these words in mind, because
your career may one day depend on it. Have you ever asked yourself while eating lunch,
“Who am I working for? What kind of people are they? Am I satisfying them enough?”
These are just some of the questions you can ask yourself during your idle moments
throughout the day. Actors, poets, singers, cartoonists, writers, book authors, manga
artists, and even secretaries are just some of the careers that depend on knowing how to
satisfy their audiences. For example, if you’re an actress and your audience is full of
conservative old women with high moral values (like the standard Filipina/Maria Clara of
the 60’s), you wouldn’t put on revealing dresses and start pole-dancing in front of their
children, because that would result in bad ratings and negative comments. Likewise a
magician first chooses an audience to entertain, THEN proceeds to find an act that will be
able to satisfy that particular audience – not trying to force the audience to like what you
feel like dishing out; so women being sawn in half are a big no-no for kindergarten
parties, okay?
Know your assets. Yet another basic rule of being successful, knowing what
you’re capable of can help you get the edge on your competitors or rivals in real life.
“Fluent in both Mandarin and English? You’re hired.” “You can create programs really
quick? Fantastic! ” The different types of magicians are proof that sticking to what you’re
best at truly is one of life’s simplest tricks. There are escape artists with flexible body
parts, sleight-of-hand magicians that have swift, dexterous hands for quickly
manipulating cards, and even mentalists that are so full of confidence you are made to
believe they truly have psychic powers.
36
Practice forever. We know it sounds hard, but it’s the truth. They say a sharp
knife will eventually rust and become dull if it isn’t sharpened or used regularly, and I
find this undeniable. Tennis players practice early in the morning everyday, Manny
Pacquiao trains hard 3 months before his fights, writers go to seminars and schools to
improve their talents, etc. Even professors that teach students the ‘same’ lessons every
year are also learning and updating their curriculums so that they can give more
information. Magicians do not perform a trick unless they know every angle of it, can
handle all possible mistakes, and know how to execute it perfectly, which takes lots of
practice. It’s worth all the effort!
Ask questions. Again, this is a practical principle of magic that should not be
forgotten. No matter how good you are there will always be someone out there that will
be better than you, and it is accepting this fact that will help you grow. Be humble and
ask a more experienced person about things you want to inquire about. You can even
save time and effort – ask a 50 year old veteran the right questions and you might just
learn what took him 20 years to perfect in 20 minutes. With magicians this is also true.
Apprenticeships are a popular way of life towards becoming a master, after all.
Master your trump card. You always have a trump card no matter what kind of
person you are. Some have hidden skills in drawing or writing, for example, while others
are brilliant at analyzing situations very quickly. Trump cards are also not necessarily
hidden. Sometimes being pretty or handsome is a trump card in itself, because that gives
you the advantage over the normal people out there by getting you noticed and giving
you extra points. Trump cards also needn’t be personal characteristics or talents;
37
sometimes the right actions or objects to bring, such as roses or gifts can be trump cards
also. Magicians are always two steps ahead, so they can be expected to always be
prepared for any kind of situation, especially the experienced ones.
Be remembered. There’s a saying, “You don’t get a second chance to make a first
impression.” and during job interviews, applicants usually have the wrong idea. In order
to get themselves noticed, they put on flashy clothes, decorate themselves with fancy
accessories that make them look like Christmas trees, and often have backfiring lies in
their résumés. While it may be important to get noticed, it is also equally important to
get noticed for the right reasons. You can share a good story that can get the interviewer
interested. For instance, instead of answering the question, “How many patients have you
treated successfully in the past?” with “I have treated 90 percent of my patients
successfully in my previous job”, you can try “Almost all my patients leave my office
very satisfied, and just to be sure I sometimes give them prescriptions and advise them to
stay in bed for a while longer. Although, there was this one time when this tuberculosis
patient came in and asked if I can treat him. After I diagnosed him that his condition was
already acute, I advised him to get plenty of rest, to not push his physical limits and to try
this Chinese home remedy. His condition improved within three months and he was so
grateful.” Within minutes, you and the interviewer are in an engaging conversation.
Wasn’t the second answer more memorable than the first? This is one of the methods you
can employ to get yourself remembered even after all the other applicants are
interviewed. Newbie magicians also try to make a good impression by giving an extra
38
effort to make their first few performances that special touch. Of course, all magicians
make good impressions with the right training.
Summary
Okay, we have finally arrived at the final chapter of the research paper. Just to
recap, we will briefly go over the more important topics previously discussed:
Magic has many benefits. It brings us joy, excitement and inspiration. It not only
benefits viewers because of the happiness and fulfillment it gives, but also benefits the
performer as well. Optical Illusions and Sleight of Hand work hand-in-hand to fool our
eyes. A magician may be aided by the effects of a mirror concealing hidden props and
assistants, or be so quick at manipulating cards and other objects that you don’t see
anything until it is too late. Scientific magic is a new type of magic that relies on
Scientific laws and knowledge of chemical reactions, rather than the skill and cunning of
traditional magicians. It may be considered ‘true’ magic because it also achieves the basic
rule of being able to do something impossible, such as being able to put a hard-boiled egg
inside a bottle, but traditional stage magic will always be more exciting for many.
Psychology and Suggestion are another kind of trick that magicians nowadays are
using in combination with illusions and sleight of hand, this time to fool our minds. They
make us think of something THEY want us to think, and usually succeed. Lastly, being a
great magician is a very tough road to take, but for the determined of heart, it is a road
39
worth taking. Many principles and advice exist in the outside world, and even veteran
magicians are willing to share their well-guarded secrets to those who are worthy.
Always practice your craft, learn from the experts, try to pass on what you learned to
those less-experienced, and don’t forget to value your audience.
Conclusion
After a strenuous experience in writing about something we hardly had any idea
about but were interested enough to push on, the researchers therefore conclude that
magic is indeed a very difficult and misunderstood field, and that very few people in
Baliuag like magic. There are many more mysteries about magic that were left untouched
in this research paper done by newbie writers, and the reader is welcome to make their
own research or browse through the internet for other research papers about magic
(though the researchers believe these will be very rare). It is a real shame that not many
students at Baliuag University are interested in magic, but that is quite understandable.
Today’s schedules are getting more and more hectic as projects, exams and reports get
assigned to average students one after another, but everyone should keep going and push
on. Writing a research paper was a very hard task, but was worth it considering the
researchers themselves learned a few things about magic while writing this paper. The
researchers look forward to other papers about magic in the near future, from the new
generation of writers in Second Year taking English 102. We sincerely thank the reader
very much for reading our paper.
40
Happy it’s finally done -The Researchers
Recommendation:
Advice to Future Researchers
Take it from us; it took us weeks to organize this research paper, and we barely
even scratched the surface of magic. It’s such a vast field, there is absolutely no way you
can make a complete research of it within three months. We suggest you choose another
topic like “Global Warming Knocks Some Sense into the Human Race” or “Philippines
Finally Becomes and Industrialized Country!” something like those, unless you have a lot
of free time on your hands or about a year to do your research. The internet was indeed
helpful, but the time it took browsing various sites was very straining. In the Philippines,
magic books are extremely rare, and the only ones we found in bookstores were for little
kids; so it’s going to be a difficult road to take – but if you’re interested and determined
enough, then be our guest and feel free to try and do a better research than we could ever
do on magic!
41
Appendix
Aside from surfing through the internet and looking around at the library, the
researchers also utilized a short survey to produce convincing statistics and to at least
sound like real researchers. We originally intended to conduct an interview, but all local
magicians in Baliuag were busy, especially the Porontong Clowns. Below is the actual
answer sheet used in the survey:
Name: ______________________________________________ Age: ____ Sex: ____ Course: ___________
If you were a magician, would you share your secrets to other people, such as how to make it look like you can guess what’s on a person’s mind or making coins appear out of thin air? If these people asked you how you performed these tricks, would you tell them? Select those that you would share your secrets to!
Parents Spectators
Friends Relatives
Fans Other Magicians
None
Why? (even if you answered None!):_________________________________________________
42
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Have you ever wanted to be a magician, even if it was just for a part-time job? Do you still feel the same? When did you want to be a magician? Please select all that apply to you.
It’s my dream It’s my hobby I’m not interested in magic
I wanted to be a magician when I was little, but not anymore
I want to be a famous magician on TV talent shows one day
I prefer to watch magic shows
I don’t want to be a magician
Why?:_________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
43
Bibliography
Internet
Martinez, Susana and Stephen Macknik. Magic and the Brain: How Magicians “Trick” the Mind. Aug. 10, 2010 http://www.mindscience.org/news/articles/sciam_ pennteller.html, Dec. 2008
Rabbit, Olde. How To Learn Sleight of Hand & Manipulation. Sept. 5, 2010 http:// pages.cs. wisc.edu/~roy/magictalk-wisdom/discussions/learning_sleight_ manipulation.html , Sept. 4, 2010
Elocina et. al. Be a Great Magician. Sept. 5, 2010 http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Great-Magician, Sept. 1, 2010
Magic (Illusion). Aug. 23, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_%28 illusion%29.htm, Aug. 5 2010
Optical Illusion. Aug. 22, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_illusion, Aug. 5 2010
Sleight of Hand. Sept. 5, 2010 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleight_of_hand, Sept. 4, 2010
Electronic Books
Bayer, Rich. Benefits of Happiness. Aug. 13, 2010 http://www.upperbay.org/ benefits of happiness.htm, 2004
The Psychology of Magic. Aug. 5, 2010 http://www.akahoudini.org/images/ Teach_Res/The_Psychology_ of_Magic.pdf, Nov. 15, 2004
44
Curriculum Vitae
Mark Vincent G. Caro Course: BSIT-II
Address: 476 Little Baguio St. Poblacion Baliuag , Bulacan
Educational background:
Mark Vincent Caro studied at Immaculate Concepcion School of Baliuag during
his Preparatory, Kinder 1 and Grade 1 years (he got accelerated to Kinder 2 for being
able to read English books so well) [sch. Yr. 1998 – 1999]. Surprisingly, despite his
happy-go-lucky attitude, he managed to get three 3rd Honors straight. He spent the rest
of his elementary years (2 to 6) at Baliuag North Central School [sch. Yr. 2000 – 2004].
During this time he experienced many things like editorial writing, editorial cartooning,
gardening, participating in contests, making friends, falling in love, and being an honor
student. His achievements, in order, are 1st Honor, 2nd Honor, 1st Honor, 2nd honor, and
3rd Honor. He also won some cartooning and Science contests in 1st place; some in last place. His
entire High school was spent at Baliuag University [sch. Yr. 2005 – 2009] and he met many kinds
of friends. He completely screwed his perfect record in BU and didn’t get any honors for four
years straight due to hating/being bad at studying; although there was that one time when he
45
got on the Top Twenty of the class, as #20th. He is currently in Second Year College, also at
Baliuag University [sch. Yr. 2010 – 2011] and is determinedly clawing his way up the ranks of IT
students – because he intends to make up for his past mistakes and hopes to get a good-paying
job and have a happy family someday. His hobbies include drawing, writing, reading, napping,
and playing games.
Nhelrick C. Matic Course: BSIT-II
Address:
Educational background:
Nhelrick Matic studied at Marian School during the school year 1997 – 2002. He
was the second on the Top 10 of his class and participated in a number of contests like
Quiz Bees and Linggo ng Wika, but sadly didn’t win anything. His Secondary level was
spent at Baliuag University from 2002 – 2005 and he was 3rd on the Top 10 this time
around. Finally, his Tertiary level (also at BU) was from 2006 – 2010. He made a lot of
friends and had a lot of fun experiences in High School, although not as fun as those
wonderful memories found in other high schools. He is taking up Information
Technology (now in his second year) and enhancing his computer skills while pursuing
his dream of being a manga artist.
46
Romnick D. Cruz Course: BSIT-II
Address:
Educational background:
Romnick Cruz spent his Elementary years at Sulucan Elementary School from
1997 – 2003. His Secondary level was spent at Colegio de Sta. Monica De Angat from
2003 to 2007, and is currently spending his Tertiary level at Baliuag University from 2009
– 2010. He was one of the Top 10 students in high school [sch. yr. 2002 - 2003], and was
voted the Most Outstanding Officer and Most Outstanding Member Of KOA for four
years straight [sch. Yr. 2003 – 2007]. He is taking up Information Technology (now his
second year) at BU and is very skilled at using computers and various programs,
particularly Online Games and Friendster.
47
Jerickson D. Sebastian Course: BSIT-II
Address: 105, Centro St. Balucuc, Apalit, Pampanga
Educational background:
Jerickson Sebastian studied at Balucuc Elementary School during the school year
1996 – 2002. During his Secondary level, he studied at St. Dominic Academy at Pulilan
from 2002 up to 2006. He spent the first half of his Tertiary level at University of the
East from 2006 to 2008, and the second half at Baliuag University [sch. Yr. 2009 – 2010].
He was ranked as 8th Overall Honor Student in Grade 6 [sch. Yr. 2001 – 2002] and as
Outstanding Student during his 2nd Year in High School [sch. Yr. 2003 – 2004]. He is
currently taking Information Technology at BU and is now in his second year. He is also
very skilled at using computers, various programs, and playing games.
48
Ivan Miel M. Alquiroz Course: BSIT-II
Address: BacOod, Tambubong, San Rafael , Bulacan
Educational background:
Ivan Miel Alquiroz studied at Baliuag University during his Elementary years
(from 1997) as a member of batch 2005. His Secondary level (also at BU) was from 2005
to 2009 while his Tertiary level (also at BU) was from 2009 up to the present. He
participated in various varsity teams, particularly in Basketball, and as a consequence of
his constant team practices – never got to be in the class picture in high school even
once. He belonged at the top half of his high school batch, and was a member of the Top
20 students in their room. He is currently taking up Information Technology and is now
in his second year. He doesn’t like to fiddle around computers much, but enjoys playing
games and chatting at Friendster.