On Thursday, October 22, students crowded into Barry Hall for a pizza and dubstep fueled night of brainstorming – aka, North Dakota State University’s annual Innovation Pitch. This is the kick-off to a five month program called the Innovation Challenge, which awards up to $27,000 in cash prizes at its conclusion.

For the Pitch night, the prizes were not as monetary but just as wonderful: three mini iPads and an Apple Watch. The prizes were awarded to the top voted pitches of the night. After enjoying their pizza and a quick innovation-themed game, students climbed the stairway to deliver pitches for their ideas.

NDSU student Danindu Ariyathilake took first place, with his idea for a Bison Network: a mobile app that connects instructors to students and students to each other in a particular class. The idea, he explained, is to decrease the amount of drop-outs in the U.S. by increasing the engagement students have with their professors and their surrounding community.

In second place was Evan Ohlsen, with an idea for energy-generating doors. “How many of you open and close the doors to get into the student union multiple times a day?” he asked. Nearly all the hands went up. As a mechanical engineering student, Ohlsen explained how the amount of energy being generated by students going in and out of those doors could be harnessed to power electricity in those rooms as well.

Tying for third place was Drew Spooner and two man team, Tyler Toepke-Floyd and Tyler Donner. Tyler and Tyler had the clever title of T&T Innovative Solutions, and plan to offer problem-solving products like a portable ramp for ATVs and dirt bikes.

Spooner, who started his pitch with the words “Hello, my people,” pitched an idea for angry flossing incentive. Yes, folks, this is a flossing mobile app that would encourage healthy flossing habits by yelling passive aggressive and/or hurtful phrases at you until you made your dentists proud. For this idea, Spooner went home with the Apple Watch.

And this is just the beginning. Now, students will form teams, choose an adviser, and begin pursuing their ideas. Not all of the pitches given at the Pitch night will continue, but some may go on to win the Innovation Challenge 2016. Stay tuned!

Photos courtesy of Edward Pavek, NDSU student and employee of NDSU Information Technology Services