August 20, 2024
Colleen Harper Faces Fiery Challenge in IES24 Interview
"This was a terrible idea." IES Executive Director braves increasingly hotter wings during IES24 Program
As part of IES24, the annual conference of the Illuminating Engineering Society, the Progress Report Committee presented dozens of products that are advancing technology and the industry. However, with 91 products to showcase, the presentation could easily become long and dry. To keep the program engaging, the committee, as in past years, incorporated humorous, informative, and often madcap interludes to add entertainment value beyond the typical product recitation.
This year’s segments included parodies of the Summer Olympics, the 1980s TV series The A-Team (rebranded as The A-19 Team), the hit musical Wicked, and the reality show The Amazing Race. The committee also managed to feature an interview with Colleen Harper, CEO and Executive Director of the IES, but not in a conventional manner. Instead, Shaun Fillion parodied the popular web series Hot Ones, where the guest and host engage in an interview while eating progressively hotter wings.
As the interview progressed, Harper was dealing with increasingly spicy wings, leading to watery eyes, choked-up speech, milk chasers, and even a couple swigs of Pepto-Bismol. At one point, Harper humorously quipped, "This was a terrible idea."
Despite the heat, the interview was both entertaining and informative, with Harper addressing various topics related to the society, its present and future direction, her background, and other engaging hypotheticals.
Hear it straight from Colleen Harper:
- It's your third year at IES. How are we doing?
(1:00)
Tuong Ot Sriracha
1,000 Scoville
- How are you doing right now?
(2:04)
Hell's Circles Heresy
3,000 Scoville
- How do the IES and (Harper's former organization) the Audio Engineering Society compare?
(3:31)
Whoop Ass Chipotle Fire
15,000 Scoville
- How did you find your calling in nonprofits?
(5:15)
Hell's Circles
100,000 Scoville
- Regarding the LightFair collaboration with Messe Frankfurt, what do you want to change and what do you want to keep?
(6:58)
Da' Bomb Beyond Insanity
135,600 Scoville
- For those visiting New York City, what are some hot tips for a memorable weekend?
(9:42)
Juniper Hot Sauce
140,000 Scoville
- If you were stuck for three hours in an elevator, which three IES members would you want to be stuck with?
(11:14)
Professor Phardtpounders Colon Cleaner
155,000 Scoville
- What does it mean to be an EP (Emerging Professional) now?
(13:05)
Torchbearer Zombie Apocalypse
500,000 Scoville
- If you had $5 million given by a recently deceased IES member, what should our society do with the grant?
(14:55)
Hells Circle's Limbo
1,300,000 Scoville
- What do you want to see in terms of cultural innovations and transformations in the way our society works?
(15:45)
The Last Dab XXX
3,000,000 Scoville
