Jonathan Blackhurst
Bountiful
In kindergarten, I remember staring at an elephant surrounded by a hammer, wrench, and screwdriver on a sheet of paper labeled “Which One Doesn’t Belong?” The feeling I had then, staring at the elephant, I get now whenever I look at the statue of Massasoit on the west side of Lee library; it doesn’t seem to belong.
Other statues on campus are closely related to their location. Karl Maeser’s metallic resemblance belongs with the Maeser Building, as does Brigham Young’s with the Administration Building, and the unnamed parents and child with the Family Living Center. The numerous, little, artsy sculptures north of the HFAC are at one with the MOA, and the “Tree of Life” could be appropriately planted anywhere on campus. It takes a stretch of the imagination, however, to tie Massasoit to the library.
The statue also seems out of place among the students on the east side of campus. Rivers of these backpack-burdened scholars in modest attire flow past the muscular Massasoit in his loin cloth each day creating an odd contrast.
No, Massasoit does not belong next to the library; instead, he belongs in the RB-SFH vicinity. There, his lithe form would match the facilities and the student-athletes in their sometimes-skimpy BYU-issued gym shorts. (One added benefit of this locale is that with a little imagination and some strategic positioning, Massasoit becomes the University of Utah’s mascot and an inspiration to our shot putters, javelin throwers, and discus hurlers.)
