The first event of the 2014 Student Government Association (SGA) Speaker Series could not have had guests more “Stevens-centric” than the two that graced the stage at Bissinger this past Saturday at 9:00 p.m. After waiting in a line that stretched from the double doors to Bissinger to the elevators to get on the fourth floor, students were finally let in.
All of the seats quickly filled, the room literally filled to near its capacity, and standing room was required for some. After a short video package highlighting their television show Mythbusters, the guests of the evening were welcomed, running down the center aisle to great applause: Kari Byron and Grant Imahara.
After the applause settled down, Byron remarked at how this was the “most enthusiastic crowd” they’ve encountered so far on their tour.
Exciting the students, Imahara received a bevy of cheers when he asked: “Got any engineers in the audience?”
Eager to hear what the “Mythbusters” had to say, the SGA representative asked the first question of the night, wondering how Byron and Imahara came to be involved in Mythbusters.
An art major who was also a sculptor, Byron had an interest in special effects. Looking for an internship, she found at a prop shop of none other than Jamie Hyneman. Her first day of work was the first day of filming, and her entrance into Mythbusters began in an unexpected way.
“[There was] one myth,” Byron explained, “where they need a female behind.” For a full three-dimensional scan, Byron lent herself for the sake of the myth and was on the team ever since.
For Imahara, his story was perhaps more relatable for the majority at Stevens, as he told the students in attendance something they will be saying for some time (with some variance): “I have a degree in electrical engineering.”
A massive fan of Star Wars, Imahara found the beginning of a dream job when he started as the personal assistant for Tomlinson Holman, the developer of THX Limited, the sound system of Lucas Films. After living one of his dreams of working on a Star Wars film – one of the prequels – Imahara received a called from Hyneman, too. “[He] wanted people who were familiar with this way of working,” began Imahara, “[who could] work really quickly and solve problems.” Before concluding his answer, Imahara provided the disclaimer that he was not responsible for Star Wars Episode I’s Jar Jar Binks: “We did not speak of Jar Jar ever.”
For some time, Byron and Imahara spoke about their favorite, least favorite, and most shocking myths, talking about the many dangers and damage caused by their process of “busting” myths. From Imahara’s experience of swimming with the sharks during “Shark Week” to see how sharks reacted to light to the team’s many destroyed rental cars and incidents with the police, it was apparent that what viewers see on Mythbusters is a very real process.
“We kind of expect things to go wrong constantly,” Byron admitted. Speaking so candidly about their outrageous, seemingly impossible work, Imahara jokingly (but seriously) spoke on behalf of the team, telling the students in attendance that their work is really risky: “Do not try this at school.”
Nearing the end of the event, Byron and Imahara were asked about what they thought the most rewarding aspect of their work was. To that, Byron responded admirably: “We’re on a stage talking to a bunch of engineers, and I have an art degree.” Remembering that Mythbusters reaches out to such a vast audience, Imahara explained, “[The] little kids are the best part for me.”
In an interesting question, Byron and Imahara were asked about how others can pursue their interests in their respective fields. “Internships were the best way [for me],” Byron advised. For Imahara, he explained his rather unconventional path to getting involved in his industry of choice before Mythbusters: “[I] dropped out [of college] in my sophomore year because of electrical engineering.” Explaining his difficulties with his chosen major, Imahara went to cinema school where he started with THX. “The moral of the story,” Imahara told, “is internships are really great.” Imahara also explained that “getting to know people in the industry” is important, too, as finding others with your interests is the best way to get on-the-job experience in internships.
Following Byron and Imahara’s advice to the students, there was a student session of questions. The most diverse of the night, such questions included what their favorite type of explosion was, if they were ever told “no” to pursuing some myth, and where the “-buster” in Mythbusters came from. After the session, students were invited to a limited meet-and-greet opportunity.
Running back up the aisle, slapping the students hands on their way, Kari Byron and Grant Imahara were undoubtedly a “hit” at Stevens, bringing a feeling of excitement that has not been so strong since Bill Nye visited in 2011.
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