Don’t you always wonder how magic tricks seen so simple, yet you can never figure them out? Sophomore Jakob Shifflett decided he didn’t want to wonder anymore and started learning how to do them himself when he began studying magic two years ago.

One day, Shifflett was looking at videos on YouTube and became intrigued when he found a video of a man doing a card trick. He immediately decided to learn how to do it himself. Shifflett said his first thought after learning his new skill was “I’m going to go impress some people.” He didn’t want to have just one trick up his sleeve, though, so he went back to YouTube for tutorials on how to do more card tricks. That was when he was inspired by famous magician David Blaine, who says, “We are all infinitely more than we believe.”

Shifflett’s favorite reaction out of his audience is when they say, “Oh my gosh!” In the two years that Shifflett has been discovering new tricks and improving them, he has mastered 10-12 tricks. His favorite is where you show someone a card, put it in the middle, and make it reappear on the top. “He’s no Houdini, but he is entertaining,” said his friend, Sophomore Jordyn Palmer.  While this newfound magician only shares his secret tricks with other magicians, he is always willing to help others learn. So catch him fast, before he disappears.