Making magic on national TV
The ’00s Brad Rateike ’02, founding principal of Bar Communications, has been selected a participant in the 41st class of The Stanley K. Lacy Executive Leadership Series. The program accepts only 25 members annually and is designed to grow the ranks of central Indiana community leaders.
By Laura Olivo ’17 Pulliam Fellow
Jared Sabelhaus ’05 and his spouse, Rachel (Turner) ’07, are the parents of a son, Evan Paul, born on Aug. 2, 2016. He joins a sister, Cora. Jared serves as director of accounting for Franklin College. The family resides in Greenwood, Ind.
Austin Andrick ’07 has been named assistant principal for the Indiana Connections Academy. He also serves as a collaborator on the academy leadership team to ensure the highest quality instruction is being delivered to all students. Ryan Wadsworth ’08 and his spouse, Emily, are the parents of twin sons, Michael and Elijah, born on Sept. 27, 2016. They join a sister, Ava. George Duffey ’09 and Carissa Brettnacher married on June 18, 2016, at St. Mary's Cathedral in Lafayette, Ind. They honeymooned in Greece. George works in marketing at Norfolk Southern Corp. The couple live in Norfolk, Va. Paul Galbraith ’09 and his spouse, Samantha, are the parents of a daughter, Adelyn Grace, born Aug. 2, 2016. The family resides in Greenfield, Ind.
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Nikki (Bean) Williams ’05 and her spouse, Danny ’06, are the parents of twins, a boy, Simon Elliott, and, a girl, Sienna Nicole, born on July 25, 2016. They join a brother, Nolan. The family resides in New Palestine, Ind.
On Sept. 2, 2016, Caleb Wiles ’07 appeared on the “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” TV competition—the highlight of his magic career, giving him a good showcase for his talents. “I tried out [for the show] by sending a video last December or so,” Wiles said. “After I got communication that I was selected as a contestant, they flew me out to Las Vegas in April to film the episode.” On the program, if Penn & Teller cannot figure out how a trick is executed, the contestant wins the opportunity to perform as the future opening act in a Las Vegas show at the Rio Hotel & Casino. In the end, Wiles was unable to fool the judges with his elaborate card trick, but he received positive feedback from the judges. “You are so [expletive] good!” Penn Jillette commented after Wiles’ performance. Wiles found the overall experience beneficial and is especially grateful for the marketing exposure. Wiles has run a side, part-time business performing magic shows and interactive, close-up, sleight-of-hand tricks for the past 15 years. Now, when future clients want to check his credibility, they can watch “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” season three, episode nine. Wiles’ magic show clients often are corporations; previous bookings have included events for the NCAA, Citizens Energy and Century 21. Additionally, he performs at holiday parties, awards banquets, customer appreciation dinners and weddings. He also has performed several consecutive years at Habitat for Humanity of Johnson County’s annual Soup Bowl event; he became acquainted with the organization while a Franklin College student. College is where his talents as a magician began to blossom. “On campus I would perform for different social events and during math meetings,” Wiles said. “I got my feet wet with performances.” Off campus, Wiles gave weekly tableside performances for patrons at three different area restaurants. Wiles said it is tough to name specific college classes that have helped him with his magic, but the combination of all his math classes gave him the problem-solving skills he needed to create new magic tricks. “Creating magic tricks is like a geometry proof,” Wiles explained. “I want to end up here, and I know I have to use three things to get there, but how can I add presentation and technique to get the desired effect?” At Franklin College, his math professors encouraged him to double-major. Wiles ended up graduating with a degree in pure mathematics and secondaryeducation. Wiles is currently working full time at Educational Testing Service and creates standardized testing for worldwide use. ■ Caleb Wiles ’07
www.FranklinCollege.edu
Autumn 2016
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