In the halls of North Point are a few freshmen that have the talent to perform some interesting card tricks. Noah Taitano (’15), Jamie Lozado (’15) and Cameron Cooper (’15) form a group of card magicians. They have already amazed several students in the hallways with what they can do. They take the simple “pick a card” trick to a whole new level.

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Cooper and Taitano were both around the same age when they started doing these tricks. Taitano shared, “I did it during a talent show in front of a hundred of students at my private school.” Two weeks ago is when Lozado started doing the magic tricks. “They (Cooper & Taitano) were my teachers,” said Lozado. The magic started when Taitano purchased a book from the local book store and went from there. “I made up my own variations,” mentioned Taitano. Cooper received his magic book from his parents as a birthday gift.

These young men do not just do this to waste time; it is just like any other activity. It takes skill. The effort other people put into trying to make a free throw in basketball or trying to hit the right notes in band class is very much the same. “It’s a hobby. A magician is just like a singer or actress, they bring entertainment to everyone,” said Taitano. “We use free time for practicing, just like you would use free time for practicing sports,” added Cooper. Practice makes perfect; when being as good as these guys, a good amount of practice is required. “I learn my tricks at school, that is where I practice,” said Lozado. Taitano said, “Everyone gets good at their own pace.” “Just like learning at school, everyone gets good at it in their own way,” added Cooper. These card tricks are not as easy as they look, and they did not look easy to begin with.

A big rule for magicians is to never tell their secrets; these freshmen now know why this is true. Taitano said, “People said they wanted to learn but then they were not dedicated to it. They just wanted to learn the secrets.” “As soon as they learn it they want to perform it. It takes time,” said Lozado.

This enthusiastic trio of magicians particularly enjoys to show off their skills during NEST time each week. Plenty of people have already witnessed what kind of tricks they have up their sleeves.