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Mesmerizing performance 'Yes, master' What : The first legal performance by a certified hypnotist in the state of Oregon Where : Southern Oregon University campus, Britt Ballroom When : Festivities begin at 9 p.m. Friday with a dance, followed just after midnight by hypnotist Andrew Becker Who : Organizers encourage the community to attend as well as SOU students Admission : $5 for SOU students, $7 for the general public Hypnotist comes to SOU Saturday By Dani Dodge of the Mail Tribune ASHLAND -- After working to repeal the state law banning public hypnotism, Southern Oregon University students will be the first people in the state to legally be hypnotized on stage and dance like Elvis. "It's going to be awesome," said Andrew Lavin, the student manager of the student activities council. "People are just fascinated by this paranormal stuff." A few years ago, Lavin and Stephen Johnson, who was the activities council student manager at the time, attended a conference in Indiana. At the show they saw their first hypnotist -- a comedic act becoming more and more popular on college stages across the country. "It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen," said Johnson, who has since graduated and is working in his family's coffee business. "It was good wholesome fun. People making fun of themselves." Johnson talked to some people at Southern about putting a show on there, but learned it wasn't legal in the state. "We said `That's a stupid law,"' Lavin recalled. Johnson contacted State Representative Judy Uherbelau, who sponsored a bill in the last legislative session to eliminate the ban. Her bill passed without opposition. The minute that the show becomes legal -- 12:01 a.m. Saturday -- hypnotist Andrew Becker will take the stage. His show will be preceded by a dance with a disc jockey. "I'm really excited to be the first one there," said Becker, 24, of Green Bay, Wis. "This is a historic opportunity." Becker, who trained at the National Guild of Hypnotists, said Kansas is the only state left with a law on the books banning public shows of hypnotism. Although Becker often performs at colleges, until now he avoided doing shows in states where it is outlawed. "It just wasn't worth the potential for trouble," he said. Lavin said bringing a hypnotist to the university campus is definitely the weirdest thing he's ever done. Although, he admits, he once held a seance at the Susanne Homes dormitory to try to contact a ghost that supposedly resides there. (He said he didn't see anything, although other people said they felt a "presence.") A psychology and criminology major, Lavin said working with Becker has changed what he thinks about hypnotism. "I didn't believe it when I first saw it," Lavin said. "But now I'm seeing there's no preparation beforehand to rig this thing, so I now am thinking it may be real. "It's creeping me out, actually." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA