Students in the psychology senior capstone class, taught by John Malacos, Ph.D., chair of the department of psychology, will be conducting a research project on the meaning of life.
   
Students spent weeks coming up with the project and constructed a nearly six-foot-tall wooden structure that spells out the word “life.” The idea stemmed from a study Malacos saw done at Arizona State University while he was on sabbatical there.  
  
The structure will be displayed in the Alumni Memorial Union (AMU) from Oct. 14 through Oct. 19. The class chose this time frame due to the number of community events happening on campus that week.
   
Members of the class hope that community members, as well as UF faculty, staff and students will participate by sharing their meaning of life. Each person will share what life means to them by writing it on one of the large letters with a colored marker.  
   
Senior psychology major Jill Bennett says she hopes students will be encouraged to participate once they see the large letters spelling out the word “life.”
   
“I am excited to see what different people have to say about their definition of the meaning of life. We hope that by spelling out the word, people will be drawn to the event and want to participate,” said Bennett.
   
Bennett and the rest of the group want to see how gender, culture and age affect perspective on the meaning of life.  
   
For those who are unable to visit the AMU to give their input, there will be a smaller cube in the Davis Street building.
   
By Holly Butler, senior communication major, Marion, Ohio