Stone Spiral Tribute Planned for Sept. 11

After the conclusion of the noon University convocation Wednesday, members of the campus community will be invited to place stones in a spiral emanating 20 feet out from the flagpole.

Amy Brannock, Arts Carolina director, said that the 3,000 egg-sized river stones each represent a life lost and that Arts Carolina requested the stones be multicolored to reflect the diversity of both the victims and the University.

She said the spiral is meant to symbolize the loss of life that occurred that day.

"In many cultures and religions, the spiral represents the soul's progress toward eternal life," Brannock said. "The Chinese yin-yang symbol, Buddhist mandala and Celtic cross all relate to the ongoing life cycle."

After the convocation ends, those participating in the ceremony, including Chancellor James Moeser, will place a stone in the spiral. Members of the arts community and those attending the event will then be welcome to place stones as well.

But in an interesting twist, the organizers are inviting attendees to immediately remove the stones if they so wish.

"As soon as it's created, it's going to be dissembled," Brannock said. "We're asking people to remove the stones to represent the impermanence of life."

The stone spiral will remain more or less in place until Friday morning.

The flavor of this distinct tribute was difficult to pinpoint, Brannock said, but members of Arts Carolina, representing the various artistic organizations on campus, decided not to repeat what they did last year.

In the days immediately following the attacks last September, Arts Carolina set up black walls surrounding the flagpole and invited the community to paint their reactions on the walls.

Brannock said the group considered what would be most appropriate at a meeting in July and decided the black walls shouldn't return.

"We struggled over whether we wanted to do anything at all," Brannock said. "And there was a general feeling that the walls had served their purpose."

Arts Carolina contacted people who participated in the tribute wall last year and others who expressed interest in volunteering with an artistic commemoration. The decision on a spiral was the result of a collaborative brainstorm, Brannock said. The group then contacted UNC mathematics professors Thomas Brylawski and Sue Goodman for help plotting the design.

Goodman, who is teaching a first-year seminar titled "Symmetry and Tiling," said she is pleased with the opportunity to participate in the remembrance and for the teaching opportunity.

"Quite a few of my students are going to help," Goodman said. "We're happy that it ties in with the class and to be part of the event."

Selena Beckman-Harned, a freshman from Cary, will be standing with other members of Goodman's class on the arms of the spiral to show people where to place their stones.

She said she wasn't expecting the chance to participate in such a tribute but appreciates its artistic aspects.

"I thought it was a good idea," she said. "I really wanted to do something to commemorate the anniversary."

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.