Common Reading Program
Members of the Class of 2027 should read Learning from Failure: Susquehanna University Common Reading Anthology 2023–2024 and complete the summer assignment before arriving on campus (instructions below). Here is a glimpse of some of what you will find in the anthology:
- A short fiction piece, “All ofNothing Else Ever. Ever Tried. Ever Failed,” written by SU’s own Dr. Silas Zobal Dent, a Creative Writing professor. Zobal’s piece explores his failure to capture his true emotions and experiences with death through his writing.
- A scholarly article by Medina Williams, delving into Elizabeth Holmes’ disastrous Theranos project and the ethical failures that allowed it to happen.
- An excerpt from Elsa Sjunneson’s memoir Being Seen, detailing her experiences with internalized and externalized ableism because of her deafblindness.
- A book chapter from Stuart Firestein’s Failure: Why Science is So Successful, outlining how failure is integral to the scientific process.
- A whimsical poem by Matthew Olzmann, reminding the audience that rodeo clown, water slide tester and tightrope walker are viable career paths in a society that pushes doctors, lawyers and investment bankers.
The Learning from Failure anthology will be mailed home to students over the summer. International students will receive a copy when they arrive on campus.
Important Links
- If you are not a first-year student or did not attend Preview Days, email program coordinator Heather Lang
- Additional materials can be found in the Reading and Teaching Guide.