Students attended a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the first-year reading experience (FYRE), an opportunity for incoming students to discuss relevant topics related to a featured book read over the summer, on Thursday Sept. 20.
This year "A More Beautiful Question" author Warren Berger attended to discuss his literature with the students. Berger has spent his career as a journalist at various organizations and has authored five additional books. Berger’s book, published in 2014, asks why students are discouraged to ask questions as they continue their schooling.
"If you ask more questions you might be more innovative, you might be more successful in your career, you might have better relationships with people," Berger said.
Berger said that on average a 4-year-old girl asks over 300 questions per day, a rate which will steadily decline as she moves through her schooling career. He said that children grow up asking questions at home in a friendly environment, a phenomenon that when coupled with their eagerness to gain knowledge leads to this frequently high number. Social pressure and self-consciousness often sparks that decline in questioning, the enemy of questioning, according to Berger.
Berger said the challenge of creating a fearless environment lies upon educators. He argues that breaking the classroom into smaller groups will help relieve the social pressures and that changing the learning environment so students are excited and having fun with the exercises could help students.
"There's always going to be a certain amount of risk associated with being willing to raise your hand and ask a question or being willing to stand up in a group of people and ask a question," Berger said.
Berger showcased how companies like Google, Netflix and Airbnb have used initial questions about problem solving as a central part of their business, which is why he chose to emphasize questioning's importance.
"I wanted to get across that it's this force, beyond what we might think, it's very powerful," Berger said.
First-year exercise science student Carson Quin said he was interested in Berger's idea that leaders must strike a balance between humility and confidence, and he hopes students are inspired to ask questions.
"A leader can be one that questions," Quin said. "I've always thought the leader has to be the answer man, the guy that knows everything, but the more I thought about it, the more it makes sense that a leader's one to ask questions."
Assistant director for campus partnerships and University 101 programs Catherine Greene said the book selection committee thought that "A More Beautiful Question," would start exactly the conversation they want first-year students to have. Encouraging students to be curious and inquire about new information was the central focus of this year's FYRE.
"It's not, 'what if I fail?' but 'what if I succeed?" Greene said.
Greene said when done well, the purpose of the FYRE is to take what students are learning in the classroom and take it to the next level by discussing and challenging their thinking. They want to make the reading experience something that guides first-year students through their experience at USC.
First-year physics student Revon Landreneau was inspired by Berger's attempts to encourage attendants, and he said he would adapt his actions and words to follow his guidelines.
"If you are a curious and questioning person, you can inspire others and can empower yourself and others also," Landreneau said.