Lang
7/5/25
University of Iowa students have created a tongue-in-cheek memorial to their beloved Brain Rock.
The 19-ton, grooved rock…technically known as “Ridge and Furrow”…was moved earlier this week from its 14-year home in front of the UI Chemistry Building to an area outside the Medical Education Research Facility on Newton Road. UI officials explained the move by saying they regularly move campus art to provide “a fresh opportunity for engagement.”
The Brain Rock had been a popular post-last call target for students walking from downtown Iowa City to the west side of the Iowa River to stop and urinate. The UI would eventually put up security cameras, and multiple students have been charged with public urination in recent years.
The Instagram account “University of Iowa Meme Page” posted a video late Friday night showing a memorial that has been created at the former site of the Brain Rock on the T. Anne Cleary Walkway…also known as North Capitol Street. At the time the video was posted, the memorial was made up of several columns of rocks stacked on top of each other, a photo of the Brain Rock, assorted leaves, and a handwritten note that reads, “RIP Piss Rock. 💔 Gone but not forgotten. May you be in the great public bathroom in the sky.” The video also appears to show multiple dribbles of liquid on the cement.
The video can be found on the Instagram account “@uiowamemepage“.
