American University professor stuns class with magic powers

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     The Sort-of-Amazing Barry begins his magic trick as students Kirsten Klohr (left),
Chloe DeChellis (center), Rebeca Berger (right) observe. (Photo by Jaclyn Merica)

An American University adjunct professor used his class time on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014, to take over the minds of the students in his Writing for Communication class. The class started as usual, with Professor Gordemer sitting at his computer in the front of the classroom as he allowed the students to get in their seats. “Before I began my illustrious career as an adjunct professor at American University,” Professor Gordemer began, “I used to be a professional magician. I was known as the Sort-of-Amazing Barry because I didn’t think I was good enough to really be amazing, so I thought ‘Sort-of Amazing’ was more honest advertising.”

Gordemer told the students how his inspiration as a magician came from Star Wars and the Jedis and how he wanted to control people’s minds. He then pulled out an average deck of cards and told the class that he was going to amaze them. He divided the cards among five groups of students and gave five cards to each group. Gordemer asked us to pick one card from our set of five. He then collected the cards back and arranged them in a five-by-five grid.

The Sort-of-Amazing Barry shades his hands over each row
of cards, waiting for the group to tell him which row their
card is in. (Photo by Jaclyn Merica)

He asked group one to tell him which row their card was in as he shaded his hand over the rows. The group stopped him, and the Sort-of-Amazing Barry had a one out of five chance to guess right. He did. Then he did again with groups two, four and five. He paused at group three, and gave one member of that group, Shavawn White, an envelope. Before he guessed their card, he asked her to open the envelope. She revealed a piece of paper with an ace of clubs drawn on it, the same card her group had originally picked. Some students gasped while the rest were left stunned in silence. Had the Sort-of-Amazing Barry really taken over our minds?

Another student in the class, Jaclyn Merica, photographed the event as it happened. I asked her how her experience was different from the rest of ours seeing the event from a different perspective. “It was surreal,” she said. “It felt like I was on a different plane than everyone else, [it was] a truly metaphysical experience.”

Then I turned to another student, Chloe DeChellis, and asked her what she thought the secret behind the trick was. “Pure insanity,” she said. “What other talents does that man have?”

Finally, at the end of class, I had the opportunity to interview the Sort-of-Amazing Barry.

“What’s the secret behind the trick?” I asked the Sort-of-Amazing Barry.

“Can you keep a secret?” he asked.

“Yes!” I said, eager that he was going to tell me the answer.

“So can I.” he smirked.

“So, how did you do the trick?” I asked, slightly frustrated.

“Very well.” he said.

Maybe the Not-So Amazing Barry really does have Jedi mind powers.