What's WRI 220/221 about?

“YES!” exclaims the walkway into the Whitman College courtyard. Bonus intra, melior exi promises a fireplace at the Graduate College. And in Frick Laboratory, the Roman poet Virgil suggests that “happy is the person who is able to understand the cause of things.” Princeton’s identity as a place of inspired learning seems to reverberate through the epigraphy that so proudly adorns its walls. But if it’s learning that liberates us to lead meaningful lives, why does the gargoyle known as Unseeing Reader read blindfolded? And why does the powerful dragon remain forever enchained to the University Chapel? When analyzed in conjunction with campus inscriptions, the decorative elements of our built environment begin to reveal a multitude of narratives and tensions that quietly influence our daily experiences: things are not what they seem. What are we saying “YES!” to? What is this place? 

“The Writing’s On the Wall” turns to Princeton’s campus as its archive to raise questions about identity, community, and the complexities emergent in contemporary experiences of a storied place. Focused on generating original datasets through fieldwork, the course trains students in rigorous approaches to both quantitative and qualitative data that empower them to develop scholarly habits of mind important for success in any discipline. In the fall, students survey their chosen aspect of Princeton to assemble original collections of understudied primary evidence pertinent to their interests. We establish best practices for data collection, management, and processing to determine the most feasible and exciting analytic pathways for the students’ datasets as the research projects take shape and grow. We also study relevant scholarship on institutional analysis to refine our research questions in service of the growing datasets. In the spring, we convert campus into a lab to analyze and contextualize our data. Connecting with research partners across campus, we experiment with various visualization technologies in service of our projects and imagine both traditional and nontraditional modes of delivery. 

Since data is central to all research, and Princeton comprises a dizzying array of potential research topics, the course is conceived to be broad in scope. Prospective neuroscientists or art historians, for example, might investigate the intersections of campus greenspaces, outdoor art, and mental health; a computer scientist or an architect might analyze the spatial distribution of affinity spaces; and an historian or an economist may investigate the relationship between donations, building programs, and curricular reforms. Do you simply want to make better sense of this bewildering place that is currently your home? This course is for you!

How do the schedule and assignments work?

“The Writing’s on the Wall” operates on a year-long, half-time schedule. The course meets for one 80-minute block each week (instead of the standard two) and holds six 50-minute precepts each semester (instead of the standard twelve). For Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, WRI 220/221 will hold regular seminar meetings on Wednesdays from 9:00 - 10:20 a.m., and precepts will be organized around student availability at the start of the fall term.  

Short, weekly assignments comprise 50% of each student’s final course grade and are organized around research skills relevant to their individual project and intellectual goals. Those smaller assignments are also the building blocks of each semester’s summative assignment (each contributing 15% to each student’s final grade) and the inspiration for each semester’s concluding exercise (each contributing 5%)—about how their research experiences and learning might transfer to other courses and contexts. 

What else should I know?

Like all sophomore research seminars housed in the Writing Program, this course will include sessions on obtaining undergraduate research funding, building a research network at Princeton (and beyond!), balancing professional ambition with personal wellbeing, cultivating a supportive peer writing community, and sharing research findings effectively in public-facing genres. 

For more information, review the Registrar’s listing for WRI 220/221 (coming soon).