One of the guys had an amazing idea, I thought for sure he was going to get requests from everyone, and he didn't get any (...yet. we are still waiting to hear back from the first two editors and agents). I was dumbfounded, truly. So was our instructor. The best we can infer from the remarks made by the editors & agent is that selling books to boys is hard to do, and if he didn't have a strong female in the book, he was going to need to add one -- and make sure that she came out in the pitch.
Update -- the fellow I referenced above
did get a request from Tina Wexler (Agent)

and I am beginning to suspect that his success with her (and his picth) is because she is young and 'hip' and his concept for his novel is Very Contemporary -- which perhaps means that she is more in touch with his concept and his audience. I am so glad he got a nibble -- I expect to see his name in lights in the not-too-distant future.