Godwin’s very own magician

Nearly everyone has witnessed a magic trick so astounding that they felt the need to determine how it was done, more commonly experienced regarding close-up magic, ie. card tricks.

Good news for Godwin students, we have our own magician, conducting card tricks in the commons.

Bad news, you will never learn how he does it. Instead, you may relate to the experience of Godwin junior Aarushi Nayak, who said, “he knocked [my] socks off.”

Godwin junior, Maks Godbout, enjoys demonstrating his talent and witnessing the astonishment from his audience.

Performing several times in front of me, even while attempting to watch his hands, I still could not debunk his illusions, an experience shared by other students.

Godwin junior, Lindley Dale, said, “he made me question my grasp on reality.”

Not only are the students amazed by Godbout’s tricks, but the teachers as well.

Godwin AP European History teacher, Bobby Knaupp said, “The last time I was this shocked was the defenestration of Prague [the 1618 event in which three Catholic ministers were thrown out of a window].”

Godbout’s strong enthusiasm for this subject began in a hospital room at the age of five. Diagnosed with epilepsy and void of activities for six months, his father gifted him his old magic box. He began to practice these illusions and instantly fell in love with it.

After two years, the interest that initially focused on magic using objects soon shifted to magic using cards. “I grabbed a deck of cards, and have been performing since,” said Godbout. He presents his tricks in front of a variety of audiences, adoring the reactions he receives.

Over the past decade, Godbout has advanced his ability to learn new card tricks, now taking only 30 to 60 minutes to learn a new one. Of the many tricks he has learned, his favorite is one that he has coined “double trouble” which involves the revealing of two cards chosen by a member in the audience and can only be truly appreciated when witnessed in-person.

In the event of a mistake, Godbout said, “I find a way to go around it by joking about it which makes the audience laugh,” this gives him another chance to perform the trick while still holding the attention of the audience. His lighthearted attitude makes his performances enjoyable to watch and establishes a welcoming stage presence.

While he would like to do street-magic in the future, Godbout said, “I’m sticking to the school for now.” However, he does not wish to pursue a magical career, but instead demonstrates a heavy interest in film directing. Currently, he participates in many hobbies, including creating films, DJing, singing, and dancing. Altogether, Godbout exhibits a love for the arts and performing.

School days have a tendency to blend together, they can feel repetitive and sometimes mundane. However, Godbout brings a fun and unique spectacle to Godwin which is worth experiencing if you happen to spot him in the commons, deck of cards in hand.