Random Frist Center quotations confound undergraduates

The quotes on the wall are my favorite feature of the Frist Campus Center. They give you a sense of Princeton history. They force you to contend with ideas on a daily basis. They do not contain any statements from the Menendez brothers.

But the quotes also seem a bit dogmatic. Though they're probably meant to spark discussion, they do seem to be a way for the administration to instill its values in us. Frist's primary architect, Robert Venturi '47, came up with the quotes idea, according to Vice President and Secretary Thomas Wright '62. Wright oversaw the quote-selection process. A group composed of Wright, Vice President of Public Affairs Robert Durkee '69, Special Assistant to the President for Communications Judith Friedman and freelance writer and photographer J.T. Miller '70 made the initial selections. They then assembled a group of about 30 people with a range of ages and ethnicities to critique those suggestions.

"The primary criteria were a) that each quote relate to Princeton — either by virtue of its author or its subject-matter, b) that there be a wide range of types of individuals and types of subject-matters represented and c) that the quotes be adaptable to the visual presentation being contemplated — its limitations and opportunities," Wright said in an e-mail.

In saying, "by virtue of its author," Wright alludes to one of the quotes' main effects: They introduce newcomers to the concept of Princeton "hero-celebrities." This group of famous faculty and alumni are used in campus publications, classes and guest lectures. as sources of academic and moral guidance. The major ones are household names who have our unqualified approval and respect: James Madison 1771, F. Scott Fitzgerald '17, Albert Einstein, Toni Morrison and especially Woodrow Wilson 1879. The only one not quoted on the walls of Frist is Bill Bradley '65.

The second-tier hero-celebrities are more morally ambiguous, and they are famous only in historical and political circles. Examples are John Witherspoon, Aaron Burr 1772, Adlai Stevenson '22, and Ralph Nader '55. The third tier contains Princetonians in "non-intellectual" fields, such as Brooke Shields '87, Dean Cain '87, Pete Carrill and David E. Kelley '79. All of them except Jimmy Stewart '31 are absent from the Frist walls, probably because they're perceived as having more glitz than wisdom. How could they have overlooked this gem: "What is it, Scully?" — David Duchovny?

These hero-celebrities have inspired us with their words. But some of the Frist wall quotes don't bring out the best in our school and its most praised alumni and faculty:

This quote is as self-evident as one right near it: "Never rise to speak till you have something to say; and when you have said it, cease." — John Witherspoon

I don't believe this is the best piece of wisdom the Time Man of the Century has to offer. What about something more invigorating: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Or something wittier: "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age 18."

Wow, that's deep. I think Princeton's level of Toni worship has hit new heights. In order for statements to say anything, don't they need a verb?

Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Wright's committee decided to include the motto of the new Frist mail delivery system. And how ironic is it that this quote appears in a campus center that has been in the planning process for more than 100 years.

In fact, jazz guitarist Jordan has no gigs on Oct. 15, or Oct. 16, or Oct. 17, or any day until Oct. 28, when you can finally see him at the Estrella Mountain Ranch in Goodyear, Ariz.

Isn't someone out there training no matter what I'm doing? Maybe this attitude is why I'm not an Olympic 10,000-meter bronze medalist like Jennings.

Apparently, Princeton was originally a training camp for pro-life advocates. Or young fetuses.

Here's the topper. This quote is from the song "Day of the Locusts," in which Dylan talks about his experience of receiving an honorary degree at Princeton Commencement. Much like the conferring of the degree, the inclusion of the quote is probably an attempt to seem hip and thus chip away at the University conservative image, to make Dylan an honorary Princeton hero-celebrity.

What Wright and his colleagues probably didn't realize, however, is that the song is a complete rip on Princeton. "Locusts" is not only a reference to the chirping cicadas in the background but also a rather unflattering metaphor for the cheering Commencement audience. A Dylan expert friend of mine put it best: "Think about it: Would you consider it a compliment to be likened to a seething mass of identical, mindless vermin?" Locusts are also one of the 10 plagues, thus suggesting that God sent the insects to punish the academic establishment for enslaving the graduates' minds.

Dylan reportedly found the ceremony quite unpleasant. As he says in the song, "Darkness was everywhere, it smelled like a tomb," and "Sure was glad to get out of there alive." On top of that, the title is a nod to Nathaniel West's classic novel "The Day of the Locust," about the corruption and greed involved in pursuing the American dream. An altogether unfavorable depiction of Old Nassau.

So our hero-celebrities, oft-quoted as they are, don't always have all the answers. And their presence on the Frist walls almost hammers the hero-celebrity institution too painfully deep into our heads. When I first saw the quotes, I felt as if the administration was preaching at me. Preaching not only the message of each quote, but the more general implication: Be like these people.

Nonetheless Venturi, Wright and their colleagues have succeeded. Quotes on the campus center walls — be they wise, silly or preachy — are a good way to force academics into our daily social lives. The wall is the place of the idea. And discourse on these ideas is the idea of the place. Zach Pincus-Roth is a philosophy major from Chevy Chase, Md. He can be reached at zacharyp@princeton.edu.