The West Georgian

Issue date: 2/20/08 Section: News

Banachek is hailed as the world's leading mentalist, in that he has the unique ability to convince people (even scientists) that he possesses supernatural psychic abilities. Whether or not he truly does possess a gift for the supernatural remains mystery. What is clear, however, is that Banachek's talents have brought him to the top in terms of live entertainment. Thanks to the efforts of the University of West Georgia's Student Activities Council (SAC), the Towsend center was able to host a performance by Banachek on Feb. 12th.

Opening for the likes of Bryant Gumble and James Brown, Banachek has always been of intrigue to famous as well as common people. His skills, with illusions and tricks of the mind, are outstanding to say the least. During his performance at the Towsend center, he showcased a wide array of illusions that held the audience in awe.

From the beginning, Banachek displayed mental trick after mental trick, such as "reading" the minds of the audience, and interpreting different facts about them that seemed simply unknowable. The feats executed by Banachek were so startling that some of them forced audience members to leave the show because of their own alarm. But, then again, having members of the audience stab him can be a bit unsettling.

When asked why he goes by the name Banachek, he replied simply, "My real name is so ordinary that no one could remember it. When announcing me, they would say, 'Now presenting the astounding feats of...', and they would forget who I was." Though his illusionary prowess is somewhat unnerving, Banachek's demeanor is extremely calm and humble. One might expect him to be eccentric and extravagant, but he seems as normal and self-effacing as anyone else.

SAC continues to prove that its members are genuinely interested in entertaining the students of UWG, and keeping them at least partially sane in between the rigors of tests and papers. Be sure to keep both eyes open for the other upcoming events that SAC plans to hold, including the March "UWG's Got Talent" competition.

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