Members of a group in the U Honors Program want students to question the pace of their lives and the effect it has on their quality of life.
Over the past two semesters, the group of 11 students and two professors has dedicated time to exploring the meaning of “a good life” as opposed to “the good life.”
The group decided to examine the velocity of today’s world and its effects on the quality of a person’s life.
During Fall Semester, the think tank spent its time researching the meaning of happiness and other quality-of-life contributors.
Kevin Kraus, a senior in economics and international studies, said the group found that many factors exist in contributing to people’s well-being, but it is directly related to how they use their time.
The more research the group conducted, the more it wanted to present its findings to the public.
“There were a lot of ideas talked about,” said Brett Barrus, a senior in consumer and communication studies. “We realized that we could encompass all of them if we did a fair.”
The students have been organizing a fair that will feature panelists discussing the topics of working and commuting, heath and well-being and education and family issues.
Each panel features members of local public sectors in an effort to provide the community with an examination of the speed of modern-life effects.
The event will also feature John de Graff, an author and Seattle’s national coordinator of Take Back Your Time Day, as a keynote speaker. De Graff will be addressing the crowd regarding “America’s Time Famine.”
Titled, “What’s the rush?” the fair will take place April 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Library, located at 200 E. 400 South.
“We want to raise awareness that the pace of life and time issues are important and that they affect the quality of life,” said Elizabeth Wilcox, a junior in English. “This is a springboard to make people question how the pace of their lives affects them.”
Members of the group found in exploring this subject that it caused self-reflection about their own lives.
“This subject gets you to challenge how you live, the vacation time you take, your work and what makes you really happy,” said Sally Planalp, a communication professor who helped to direct the class. “It’s not same-old, same-old. It can really lead one to live differently.”
For more information about the fair, visit its Web site at www.pacefair.org.
Lennie MahlerThe honors think tank class brainstorms off-campus locations to publicize The Pace of Life Fair, which will feature lectures and panel discussions to encourage a more relaxed mindset. The fair will be held April 14 at the Salt Lake City Library.