Winners Named for "Atlas Shrugged" Essay Contest
Dec 7, 2006

IRVINE, CA--College student Ann Pedtke, from Canonsburg, PA, is the winner of the Ayn Rand Institute's annual "Atlas Shrugged" essay contest, for which she received a prize of $5,000.

Open to undergraduate and graduatelevel college students, the "Atlas Shrugged" essay contest requires contestants to write on one of several topics dealing with the characters and themes in the novel. The contest is designed to promote critical thinking and writing skills. Essays are judged on both style and content.

The following students have won this year's second and third prizes:
 
Second-Prize Winners ($1,000):

Darren Beattie, Chicago, IL

Laura Mazer, Decatur, GA

Doug Wong, San Diego, CA
 
Third-Prize Winners ($400):

Jay Bahadur, Toronto, Canada

Jave Galt-Miller, Princeton, NJ

Antonia Hoyland, Raleigh, NC

Ben O’Neill, Kambah, Australia

Nicole Pepperl, Lincoln, NE

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First published in 1957, "Atlas Shrugged" is a mystery story about the murder--and rebirth--of man's spirit. It offers the spectacle of human greatness through the astounding story of a man who said that he would stop the motor of the world--and did.

Since 1999 about 10,000 college students from around the world have entered ARI's "Atlas Shrugged" essay contest. This year more than 1,300 students submitted their essays, and the winners were awarded a total of $13,000.