The Innovation Competition, a joint venture sponsored by the Caruth Institute for Engineering Education and CARR Intellectual Property Law, hosted its introductory meeting on Wednesday.

Open to all students — artists, engineers, linguists and scientists alike — the competition is a campus-wide event designed to tap student vision and talent.

Nathan Huntoon, the campus coordinator for the competition, said, “This whole thing got started based on the belief that you all have better ideas than the old guys in the room.”

Student innovators have had success in tackling problems that corporations and professionals have ignored.

Last year, students at Rice University designed a twenty-dollar centrifuge that can be used in third-world countries.

However, Huntoon stressed that the project is about innovation instead of economics.

“This is not a business planning competition. I am looking for creative ideas over ideas that can just make money,” he said.

For non-engineering majors, the project will be an opportunity for interdisciplinary exploration.In previous years, students from Cox, Dedman and Meadows have submitted proposals.

“My job as an engineer is to bring ideas to life,” he said. “We want to connect non-majors to people who can help you bring your ideas to life.”

Creativity is the driving force behind the competition.

Inspired by the United States Constitution and its protection of new sciences, the competition stresses ingenuity.

“Ideas deserve to be done because they are neat and unique,”Huntoon said. “We just should.”

For students in attendance, the presentation sparked thoughts of discovery and fame.

“This is the key to the future,” Ridwan Haseeb, visiting student, said. “This is how great scientists and inventors of our time started off. With a simple idea and encouragement.”