Magic show starts splendid, ends disappointing

I am writing as a very concerned student regarding Andre Kohl, the magician who was supposed to visit UNL on Tuesday.

My friend Elaine and I saw a poster promising levitation and a disappearing Statue of Liberty, and we were immediately interested. Elaine's father used to be a magician, so she has always had a soft spot for that type of fun.

I, on the other hand, anticipated a hokey little show but was hoping for some cool magic, a few laughs and of course have a fun night with one of my best friends.

We talked about this magician for days before the actual show and convinced our friend Kyle to join us at Hardin Hall for the night.

So we arrived for the show at 6:45 - early, mind you, to be sure we had good seats. Elaine was absolutely ecstatic, and we were chatting excitedly about her hopes to participate.

The first half of the show was actually good, although Andre himself was not present. His son, Tim, had to fill in.

The first trick definitely caught my attention and, while not amazing, the rest were entertaining at the least. And this is the point where the story turns from fun and laughs to disappointment and definite irritation, even anger.

Another magician came out for a segment apparently devised and performed by Andre, were he present.

But another magician came on stage and when he began, I cringed. "I understand that some of you were not aware of the spiritual aspect of this show," he began, "so if anyone might feel uncomfortable or" - he paused - "scared, please feel free to go."

I could tell from the condescending tone of his voice and sarcastic gesture he made with his hands that the next 40 minutes might be hell, but nevertheless, my friends and I sat down and listened.

This no-name magician, or dare I say preacher, then went into a rant on prophecies of the Bible and how Jesus Christ is the universal and sole savior for mankind.

I won't bore you with the details, but I will add that he included his conviction that we are in our final days and that all Indians with marks on their foreheads - regardless of their religious convictions - will burn in hell because nobody with marks on their foreheads or right hands will be permitted to enter heaven.

But remember, this magician did mention that anybody could leave if they felt uncomfortable.

I assure you, we did.

But what makes me so concerned, beyond the fact that there are still people in this world willing to spread the name of Jesus through fear and condemnation, rather than love and acceptance, is that nowhere on any advertisement for the incredible Andre Kohl was there a hint of the spiritual tirade that made up over half of this show.

Yes, there was a small blurb on the bottom of the posters that stated "Sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ," but this was both unnoticeable and vague.

I am not adamantly opposed to religion; on the contrary, I was raised in a Catholic home and attend mass with my family whenever I go back home. I am concerned because the Crusaders on campus, in addition to Andre and his magical cohorts, were both deceitful and disappointing.

Five dollars - the cost of admission - is not a huge sum to me, but believe me, we will be pushing to get our money back.

I refuse to contribute to such a misleading, dishonest and grossly confused organization.

Justin Shilhanek is a Freshman Psychology and Spanish major.