Audience members packed into the Great Hall of the Memorial Union on Friday night to get an up close and personal look with “Riverdale” actress Camila Mendes.

Iowa State’s Student Union Board invited Mendes to the Memorial Union for the first AfterDark event of the semester. Kipp Van Dyke hosted the Q&A session where audience members were able to get a glimpse into Mendes’ life.

Mendes broke the ice with the audience by joking about how Friday’s weather was tropical compared to earlier in the week, causing wide-spread laughter. She stated that coming to AfterDark was her first time in the Midwest and the audience welcomed her with applause.

Van Dyke started the Q&A with some questions about how Mendes decided to become an actress.

“I’ve wanted to be an actress for as long as I can remember,” Mendes said.

She delved deeper into which specific role models inspired her to get into acting.

“I loved Vanessa Hudgens in ‘High School Musical,'” Mendes said. “I’m actually meeting her tomorrow.” 

Mendes was able to make the audience feel comfortable and relaxed around her. Audience members giggled with excitement as if they were the ones who were meeting their idol.

Van Dyke asked about Mendes’ most prominent character, Veronica Lodge on The CW show “Riverdale.”

“I auditioned and they stopped me on the elevator and told me I was their top choice,” Mendes said. “But they said they were going to open up a nationwide search to find me competition. They didn’t find anyone.”

Trying to get a peak at her upcoming work, Van Dyke asked Mendes for some insider info.

“I can’t say much about it, but I’m in an upcoming Indie film called ‘Coyote Lake,'” Mendes said. “It’s coming out this summer.”

Congratulatory whistles and shouted complements beamed from the audience.

Toward the end of the Q&A, Van Dyke asked Mendes if she had any final words of wisdom for students.

“Honestly, just live your best life, that’s all I can say,” Mendes said.

Preceeding Mendes was renowned magician Nate Staniforth performing his show “Real Magic.”

Staniforth didn’t feel the need for all the glitters and gold that many other magicians have when they appear on stage. He came out and simply greeted the audience; providing them a warning at the same time.

“There is going to be at least one moment during this show where you will have no idea what is going on or how something happened,” Staniforth said. “My only agenda over the next hour is to amaze you over and over.”

Staniforth was quick to cause overwhelming sounds of disgust and fear from the audience as he pulled out floss from his pocket and swallowed a 12 inch strand of it.

Without hesitating, he pulled up members from the audience to help him with his first trick. He hand-picked five audience members to go up on stage and hand him five sewing needles of their choosing. Presenting the needles to the crowd, he painstakingly swallowed each of the five needles.

Staniforth proceeded to gag, causing audience members to do the same, and pull out the strand of dental floss from this throat with each of the sewing needles tied tightly to it. Right from the beginning of the show, members of the audience knew they were in for a captivating and dangerous show.

Staniforth continued on with his next trick. First he pulled someone from the crowd to sit on stage and hold something in their hands, not revealing it to them or anyone else. He then asked everyone in the audience to hold their wallets in the air. He then chose one student to take a dollar from. Staniforth asked everyone in the audience to remember the serial number printed on the dollar.

Warning the audience that he is about to break the law, Staniforth then tore off a corner of the dollar and set it on stage. He then set the dollar on fire, then put it in a glass of water, and drank the ashes. 

With the dollar completely gone, he asked the student on stage to reveal what was in his hand. There lay the dollar he had pulled from the student’s wallet, destroyed, and consumed. He then asked the audience to recall the serial number, which matched up exactly to the dollar on stage; as did the torn off corner.

“I thought the show was cool. I don’t really like magic but I liked his show,” said Grace Meier, sophomore in kinesiology and health, who was pulled up on stage with Staniforth.

“I tried to get on stage but I didn’t think he’d actually pick me,” Meier said. “I swear I wasn’t planted!”

The next ISU AfterDark will feature “Queer Eye” host Antoni Porowski. The event will be 9 p.m. at Friday, March 1 in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.