By Skye Anderson 

On Jan. 13, UM students gathered at the Song Center for the Arts to see illusionist Peter Boie’s magic act. 

Boie brought several volunteers on stage throughout the show when he played card tricks, juggled, summoned a spirit and guessed the number of licks it took to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop: 317. 

Nathan Morton volunteered as Boie summoned a spirit he encountered on a hiking trail. Morton held a small chalkboard with the spirit’s writing, then sat onstage with his eyes closed as Boie tapped another volunteer’s nose—and Morton felt it.  

“It was [magic],” Morton said. “I wanna know how he did that.” 

“I genuinely was shocked. I just decided to come today because of a flyer,” said volunteer Sophia Baillos, who went onstage with Boie and read his cue cards. 

Boie has been doing magic shows professionally since he was 16. He began performing for family members when he was 11 years old. 

“I’m kind of self-taught,” Boie said. “I’ve had multiple mentors throughout the years… but a lot of it is reading magic books and learning from others that have gone before me.” 

Boie said Vegas musicians Jeff McBride and Lance Burton influenced him the most growing up. 

“The secret of magic is that you don’t want to know how it’s done,” Boie said. “Even though you want to know… deep inside, you don’t.” 

UPC coordinator Rylee Keasler said student life director Jenny Bell booked Boie to bring in something different and interactive for students. 

“I think we had a little over 100 people in there. That was really cool to see,” Keasler said. “Everybody in the crowd just had fun.” 

Keasler said everyone at UPC loved working with Boie and would be happy to have him back.