On Friday, Jan. 24, hypnotist Ronny Romm visited Kingswood Oxford and performed for a large crowd of our high school students. Ronny Romm is a hypnotist, which means he uses hypnosis, the act of putting people in a trance-like sleep while still being awake. His act involves using these hypnotized people to do funny skits.
After his show last year, many students were excited to hear about his return. This year’s show also attracted a significantly larger number of students due to the acclaim from the previous year. “The SGA decided to bring Ronny Romm back to KO due to the huge amounts of requests we received after last year’s show,” Form Five senator Sloan Duvall said. “Overall, I thought it was a very successful event that brought the community together.”
Ronny Romm started off the show with ESP, or extrasensory perception. In other words, mind reading. He asked students questions about a hypothetical trip they would take. After asking them what room number they stayed at and the cost of the trip, he unveiled a sealed envelope with those exact numbers on it.
After this opening, he began his main talent, hypnosis. He called a small group of student volunteers onstage to join him and began his tricks. While some students didn’t fall under his spell, some students were able to fall completely into this state, at which point the fun began. Ronny Romm had students making outlandish claims, falling out of their chairs and participating in wacky stunts.
This year, students were charged for entrance to the show, whereas last year it was free. SGA had to charge an admission fee for the show due to the cost of hosting it. While this did not detract from the experience, some students claimed that the cost made it less accessible and a bit more of a nuisance than what is intended to be, a fun experience for the students. Many students loved the show, and teachers loved seeing the students in a more laid-back setting. SGA advisor and English teacher Mela Frye especially loved the reactions of the hypnotized students. “It’s just silly things,” she said. “He gets them to quack like a duck, or moonwalk across the stage. It’s not shaming or embarrassing; it’s just funny and something everyone can laugh about.”
While Ronny Romm was certainly a success, SGA will soon look to bring another event to the students and faculty. “For me, fun events like Ronny Romm, or other events like school dances and basketball games, while not being the most serious, bring the community together and act as a stress reliever in our busy lives,” Sloan said.
SGA speaker Jacqui Ouellette, along with Sloan, Mrs. Frye, and the other SGA members helped bring Ronny Romm to KO. After a great show last year and demand from the students, they brought him back and organized this fun night for the community. Jacqui said she agreed with Sloan’s notion. “We wanted him to come because he came last year and did a fantastic job,” she said. “The students enjoyed it, and it was nice for the community to come together in that way.”
Hypnotist Ronny Romm entertained students and faculty through his wild, unbelievable act, but also allowed for the community to come together and have fun outside of their stressful school days.
