Before films like “Now You See Me” redefined our perception of magic, petroleum engineering senior Abdulaziz Aljazaf was honing his craft in his home country of *Kuwait.
Aljazaf is the president and founder of the University’s 18-month-old magic club. Upon coming to the University, Aljazaf wanted to share his skills with fellow University students by hosting magic shows. As a solo magician, however, Aljazaf was unable to host magic shows at campus venues unless he rented them.
The LSU Student Activities Board told Aljazaf that he could rent the spaces for free if he were to start a student organization.
“I said ‘why not?’ There’s not a magic club at LSU,” Aljazaf said. “We can gather all the magicians on campus and we can do the magic shows.”
Aljazaf scoured campus, but he could only find three magicians.
“I realized that we don’t have a lot of magicians,” said Aljazaf. “I’ve met maybe three people.”
One of the three magicians is marketing sophomore Ben Irino, who specializes in cardistry — a portmanteau of the words “card” and “artistry” —which is easily recognized as card tricks.
Irino said he developed an interest in cardistry his sophomore year of high school.
“My mom took my Xbox the weekend before school started, and I was like ‘I’m really bored’” Irino said. “By Wednesday of that week, I was like ‘let’s get on YouTube and learn some magic’”.
The following week, the film “Now You See Me” was released. When Irino saw the Buck twins performing cardistry in the film, he knew he wanted to be a magician.
Aljazaf was introduced to magic nine years ago when his friend brought home a box filled with props and tutorials for beginning magicians from Dubai.
While the other kids laughed, Aljazaf said he was amazed at his friend’s performance. After a week, when his friend grew tired of the box, Aljazaf asked if he could have the box. When the friend said “yes,” Aljazaf locked himself in his room and began mastering the tricks.
Aljazaf specializes in illusions, which is a more theatrical form of magic that is performed on stage and involves the use of props.
In Apr. of 2017 Aljazaf performed his first solo magic show on stage at the International Fusion Festival hosted by the LSU International Student Association.
“I care about the lights, the sounds, when does the curtain close, when does the curtain open,” Aljazaf said.
Since its inception last fall, the magic club has performed for the Omani Students Association at LSU, and performed close-up tricks at the University’s Fall Fest. The club is slated to host its first magic show at the LSU Student Union Cotillion Ballroom on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m.
Though the club of six seems small, Aljazaf and Irino said all members are skilled magicians.
“Our club is about magicians, not creating magicians,” Aljazaf said.
*Editor’s note: A previous version of this story said Aljazaf was from India, and has since been corrected. The Daily Reveille regrets this error.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Kelly McDuff

Marketing sophomore Ben Irino performs card tricks with the LSU Magic Club on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, outside the LSU Student Union.