Although some might say he lives a double life, Vince Smith sees his stage-magician persona “Vince Charming” as almost an extension of himself. “They are very closely connected,” he explains confidently, “Vince Charming is an act and it’s a stage name, but it’s very much based off Vince Smith because the personality is there and it plays very well. It’s me off stage and on stage.”

Vince is a Geneva student majoring in electrical engineering who also runs his own business, Vince Charming Magic. He views his life as a college student to be complementary to his life as a magician and vice versa.

Vince is from the North Hills of Pittsburgh and graduated from Eden Christian Academy. He had teachers who graduated from Geneva and an older brother in his senior year attending as well. He was looking for a Christian college that would be close enough to home for him to run his business. He toured the campus and really liked the community there. “I also thought it would be cool that when I was a freshman, my brother would be a senior,” He explains, “So that played into it as well.”

His freshman year, Vince participated in the First Year Honors Program. His experience in that program set the tone for his year. “I enjoyed being involved in discussions with other who were intellectually inclined, yet no one ever acted like they were smarter than anyone else,” Vince remembers, “It felt like a family. I am very grateful I had the pleasure to be a part of it.”

The larger Geneva community has left a great impression on Vince as well. He notes, “Geneva has helped me grow by its atmosphere. For the most part, I have found my peers to be friendly, and all around respectable people whom I would be happy to associate myself with.” Vince does magic for a lot of college campuses and so explains confidently, “This may seem odd, but trust me, not all campuses have this vibe.”

An entertainer at heart, Vince appreciates that many of his professors not only know their material, but present it in a dynamic and entertaining way. “When people present information and they are very passionate about it, you feel it,” he says, “Thinking back to my freshman year and what I can recall, it was those teachers that I remember best.”

Vince feels the same way about the magic he performs. He explains, “When I first started off, I thought it was about, ‘how many tricks per minute can I do?’ And then I realized that it is not only not enjoyable for me, but it isn’t enjoyable for the audience either.” Now he says, “You’ve got to let some of the tricks sink in and let them be appreciated and then also let them know who you are. Let them know who is holding the trick.”

An average show from Vince Charming Magic includes illusions, mentalism and juggling combined with copious amounts of lighthearted uplifting comedy. Vince likes to levitate things, do effects with objects provided by the audience and make Harry the Rabbit appear and disappear. He even uses his knowledge of engineering to contribute to his act. He has various effects and illusions that he created himself, and even juggles balancing on a board that he wired with LED lights.

When not on stage, Vince has to balance juggling a heavy course load with running his business. He stays very busy, but is glad to be at this stage of life. He notes, “Geneva has helped me by providing a place that is conducive to growth, both spiritually and intellectually.” Learn more about Vince Charming on his website, or by visiting his Facebook page.

-Caleb McCracken ’16