Westminster Student Could Become First Utahn to Win Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics 

March 8, 2007

Lynette Sieger is One of 13 National Finalists Currently Being Considered 

Lynette Sieger, a Westminster student majoring in philosophy and political science has been named one of 13 finalists for the Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest. If she wins the national prize, Sieger will become Utah's first recipient of this prestigious national award. Based on early indications, college officials are extremely enthusiastic about Sieger's prospects. Her essay, "Torture: The Bleeding of Universal Human Rights," was selected as a finalist from approximately 300 essays submitted nationwide.

If selected for the Prize in Ethics, Sieger will be among an impressive group of past winners from institutions such as Yale and Duke University and could receive $5,000 if her essay takes first place. Winners of this year's Prize in Ethics Essay Contest will be announced in early April 2007.

Sieger originally enrolled as a student at Westminster in 1999, then took a break from college to do an independent philosophy study in Vienna, Austria in 2001. She returned to Utah in 2005 to work as a Mergers and Acquisitions Consultant and later as the Chief Officer of Operations for a Utah firm. "During my stint of corporate work I often regretted that my work was not fulfilling in the sense that it ignored and compounded the problems of human suffering," she said. Sieger is planning to finish her undergraduate degrees at Westminster in order to pursue a PhD and would like to eventually teach and write philosophy that focuses on ethics.

The Prize in Ethics essay contest is an annual competition sponsored by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity to encourage college students to analyze ethical issues of our complicated world, by writing thought-provoking personal essays that raise questions, single out issues and develop rational arguments for ethical action. Elie Wiesel is a Nazi death camp survivor and internationally known author of 36 works dealing with Judaism, the Holocaust, and the moral responsibility of all people to fight hatred, racism and genocide. Wiesel served as the chairman of the President's Commission on the Holocaust and was the winner of the 1986 Nobel Peace Prize.

Westminster College, founded in 1875, is a private, comprehensive, liberal arts college dedicated to students and their learning. Impassioned teaching and active learning are the hallmarks of the Westminster experience. The college prepares its students for success through a strong foundation of liberal education combined with cutting-edge professional programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Located where the magnificent Rocky Mountains meet the vibrant city of Salt Lake, Westminster blends classroom learning with experiences presented by its unique location to help students develop skills and attributes critical for success in a rapidly changing world. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Westminster in the top tier of regional colleges and universities in the West, and as an excellent educational value. Additionally, the college was named to the Princeton Review's "The Best 361 Colleges" for 2007. For more information, visit www.westminstercollege.edu.