This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Regarding the letter from Salt Lake City resident Jerry Conder ("Time to remove 'U' and 'Y' from mountains," July 10) and his assertion that these block letters for the University of Utah and Brigham Young University are graffiti and should be removed post haste:
I must say that I understand his point, but only to a point. Yes, to some, these are a visual nuisance, but in reality, these letters are not graffiti in the traditional sense but are a recurring tradition we see throughout the state that marks major universities to small high schools in tiny rural communities. I agree that they are a little hard on the eyes, and I'm not a big fan of them either, but I don't see them being as big of an eyesore as what the Salt Lake City locals call "Suicide Rock" located at the base of Parley's Canyon.
This particular rock formation is the gateway to the grandeur that is Park City, Deer Valley and indeed, all of Summit County, and frankly, it is ugly as sin. That we allow people to continually and illegally deface this rock formation for all the world to see is a travesty and one that should be corrected. In my opinion, this is graffiti in its truest and ugliest form.
The "U" and the "Y" are a matter of taste and I support Mr. Conder in voicing his opinion, but I have to think that those letters are here to stay, as it would just be too controversial to have them removed. However, regarding Suicide Rock, is there anyone who doesn't agree that it is time to clean it up once and for all?
Steven M. Brophy
Salt Lake City