TV Web site idea wins first place the Make-a-Pitch contest Thursday
Saginaw sophomore Jeff Wegner dreams of one day owning a cooler that always stays cold.
West Branch junior Nick Fox images being able to drive a car that never needs the gas to be refilled.
These ideas and many more were the focus of the Make-a-Pitch contest Thursday in Grawn Hall.
Twelve students shared their ideas for a project or invention in a five-minute time frame to an audience of around 35 while six judges critiqued their work.
The winner — Alma senior Jason Whitmore — received a $500 check.
Chuck Fitzpatrick, director of LaBelle Entrepreneurial Center, was one of the judges and said the presentations were well prepared and practiced.
“I was impressed,” he said. “We would like to get people from other disciplines and hold competitions at other schools.”
The winning idea
Whitmore plans on using the prize money to launch his idea, which is is to create a Web site similar to hulu.com, where users can watch television shows not given air time on cable networks.
Whitmore said the site would create a way to connect the content creators with the advertisers to achieve several things, such as the advertisers paying for product placement.
“I’m pumped,” Whitmore said. “I’ve never won $500 before.”
Vassar junior Molly Bender pitched an idea that could benefit ice tea drinkers.
Her idea is to create an ice tea pack, hot or cold, that will speed up the boiling process and can fit into a bottle of water.
Bender said she’s been thinking about the idea for a couple of years.
“I drink ice tea everyday and it takes a long time to prepare,” she said. “(With my idea), you wouldn’t have to boil it.”
Midland senior Baron Kimble has an idea he said would help all college students.
Kimble, who has been working on it for about a month, plans on providing tax help for low-income earners.
“Everybody needs their taxes done,” he said. “I guarantee you’ll be seeing fliers around for this and I’ll be getting calls.”
Fenton junior Nicholas Laue wants to help people in third-world countries with his idea.
Laue plans on creating a Web site that would connect a portal to sites for stores such as Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Circuit City.
From there, he would take a percentage of the revenue from the money made and donate it to third-world countries.
“It’s a noble business,” he said. “I don’t feel enough people give back anymore.”
