All participants are expected to maintain a respectful, inclusive, and professional environment throughout the hackathon.

• Treat all participants, organizers, mentors, judges, and guests with respect.

• Harassment, discrimination, bullying, or inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.

• Respect university facilities, equipment, and event spaces.

• Follow instructions provided by event organizers and staff.

• Any disruptive or unsafe behavior may result in removal from the event.

• Original Work: Teams are not allowed to reuse code or projects developed before the hackathon as their own work. All core project functionality must be developed during the competition. Public libraries, frameworks, and development tools are permitted.

• AI & External Tools: AI assistants, online resources, and open-source libraries are permitted unless otherwise specified by organizers.

• No Plagiarism: Teams must not copy another team's work or present someone else's work as their own.

• Honest Representation: Teams must accurately demonstrate their project's functionality. Fake results, misleading demonstrations, or claims about features that do not work are prohibited.

• Team Collaboration: Participants may only collaborate on their submissions with their registered teammates. General guidance from mentors is permitted.

• Data Integrity: Teams must not manipulate, fabricate, or misrepresent data or model performance.

• Submission Deadlines: All projects must be submitted before the official deadline. Late submissions may be disqualified.

• Confidentiality: Any private datasets or proprietary information provided by CenterPoint Energy must not be shared publicly without authorization.

Event organizers reserve the right to investigate suspected violations, request code reviews or live demonstrations, and disqualify teams that violate these rules.

All participants are expected to compete fairly, act professionally, and uphold the integrity of the competition.