JEFFERSON TWP — Illusionist Tom Coverly wants to “destroy the illusions” youths believe in, including those about self-image and respect. That was his message to Knoch Middle School students Thursday at an assembly sponsored by the Parent Teacher Student Organization.

Coverly of Grand Rapids, Mich., is a faith-based motivational speaker, but he is sure to keep his presentations at schools secular, he said. Coverly, also a comedian, has been speaking to teenage audiences for more than 20 years, but his Destroy Illusions performance has been touring for the past nine years, he said.

By beginning his show with a number of illusions, he is able to break the ice with the students.

A speaker has only moments to garner the respect of his audience, he said.

“I always like to capture your attention,” he said, and illusions are his way in.

Coverly’s show began with a book he gave to a student at the middle school. He then pulled her to the front of the auditorium and the two of them stood back-to-back. Coverly bet her he could recite any page from the book that she chose.

With her back to him, she began picking pages, not realizing he had produced his own copy. But the audience could see everything and thought they knew how the trick worked.

After Coverly began tapping the student on the shoulder with his book, she caught on, but then she revealed his book was blank.

“I want you to see how easy it is to be fooled and deceived,” he said. “A lot of you are believing a lot of illusions in life.”

Just like the audience believed they were in on the joke, Coverly explained.

From then on, Coverly starts explaining the everyday “illusions” that teenagers, and even adults, are buying into.

For instance, Coverly specifically talked to the girls, saying the idea of physical perfection is only something we are conditioned to believe in because of how women are portrayed in movies and in magazines.

Coverly said he particularly likes using one anecdote from a time he met model Cindy Crawford.

Apparently, Crawford told him even she wished she looked how she did when she was on the cover of a magazine, and for him, the memory still gives him goosebumps.

“They’re measuring their beauty by a lie,” he said. “Girls know it, they just forget it. Nobody looks like that.”

Then, Coverly took the opportunity to talk to the boys, saying there is an illusion in today’s society that disrespecting women is just the status quo.

“They’re slowly learning that it’s OK,” he said, speaking on how entertainment can shape a person.

Coverly asked how many of them had seen examples of disrespecting women in the media.

“And hands go up right away,” he said. “And they’re all thinking of different examples, and they think of them instantly so (this norm) is coming from somewhere.”

In addition to those “illusions,” Coverly spoke about the illusion that disrespecting others is acceptable.

Coverly was born and raised in Camden, N.J., a town notorious for being one of the poorest and most dangerous cities in the country, he said.

“I just grew up in a house where you were taught to grow up on the streets,” he said.

Coverly’s father taught him self-defense, a way of showing his love by making sure Coverly could keep himself safe.

Survival was a huge part of Coverly’s life in Camden, but once his family moved, Coverly worked on cleaning up his life, he said.

Although Coverly is not proud of some things he has done, he stresses that every day is a new day during his school presentations.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re labeled the best person or the worst person, I’m going to treat you the same,” he said. “We’re all guilty of something so none of us have the right to a finger at another person. Give them a new chance.”

Although the “Destroy Illusions” is considered an anti-bullying assembly, Coverly said he’s not sure he even uses the word in his presentation.

“Bullying isn’t the issue,” he said. “There’s a root cause of that, and we have to hit that. It’s about respect and integrity and character.”