Student Magazine Explores Sept. 11

And students at UNC are no exception.

Last semester, journalism Professor Chuck Stone and the students in his magazine writing class worked to examine and understand the event through the publication of Phoenix, a magazine consisting of students' articles and personal essays.

The magazine, available for $3 in Student Stores, touches on many aspects of the Sept. 11 tragedy.

Some students traveled to New York City to visit ground zero and talk with native New Yorkers. Others focused on Americans' renewed patriotism and efforts to show their appreciation to rescue workers.

The project began when Stone assigned his students to write essays about Sept. 11. "I wanted my students to understand the historical enormity of this event," Stone said.

The idea to publish Phoenix began when Stone read the completed papers aloud to his class. Students were moved by their classmates' words and wanted more people to have access to their project.

Students found the project to be a healing outlet for them.

"Creating Phoenix allowed me to work out many of the frustrations that I'd had about September 11," said Marianne Reardon, a senior journalism major. "Although I was not directly affected by the tragedy, being able to write about it was wonderful."

The magazine also contains photographs Stone chose to highlight both the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the University's diversity and complexity.

"In addition to deans, professors and students, I also wanted to portray the ultimate humanity of Americans through the pictures in Phoenix," Stone said, referring to a photo of a nurse holding a baby.

Stone said Phoenix, named for the mythological bird that rises from its own ashes, was intended to demonstrate "the soaring resilience of the American spirit."

The magazine is a new type of project to UNC. "This kind of task has never been done where a publication was able to dramatize the heroism of people around the globe to such a large degree," Stone said.

Joyce Fetterman, a senior journalism major who was in Stone's class, said the project can be a source of unity for University students.

"For the most part, a magazine such as this allows people our age that are not directly connected with the tragedy to identify as distant observers," she said.

Stone said he and his class have made great strides in dealing with the effects of Sept. 11.

As senior Courtney Mabeus' essay in Phoenix states, "Before Sept. 11, Americans honored valor and heroism because they were rare. Now heroes surround us. They are our friends, neighbors, perhaps even ourselves."

The Features Editor can be reached at features@unc.edu.