Fusion is a four-day opportunity not only for the newcomers, but for anyone on campus looking for something fulfilling to do before classes start.
From Sept. 4-7, there were more than 60 NSOA groups, usually with two leaders each. NSOAs help the new students get acquainted to the school, being a mentor and friend to their group of students, freshmen, transfers or international, for the length of orientation and afterward as well.
International students often have the hardest time getting used to a new school and a new country, so O-Team leaders help them through orientation.
O-Team leaders are people with at least one year of experience as an NSOA who help the international students get acquainted by putting them through a slightly rendered program; they also train other NSOAs.
Each Fusion Orientation starts with a football game against Army. It was a close match (and almost a win) with a power outage halfway through in the chill of the evening.
Despite that, there was amazing school spirit coming from the bleachers filled with newcomers, complete with cheering, the wave and the fight song being screamed at every opportunity.
Close-Up delivered with a different show from last year, leaving everyone in laughs but also teaching some very important things about campus and college life.
The group performed its College 101 show, which included important information about college life like roommates, relationships, safety, alcohol, diversity and sex.
Freshman Jenavieve McMurray said, “I enjoyed the second day of Fusion the most and that I received some good information, Close-Up was my favorite event that day.”
NSOA Jen Yetter said, “Compared to last year, Close-Up was better and different and my Freshmen liked it.”
However, she noticed that Fusion could use an improvement.
“The Convocation Ceremony was a change of pace from the excitement, my group didn’t enjoy [the ceremony] as much because of the pace.”
Although it is a traditional ceremony, it is a contrast from the rest of the fast paced Fusion activities, which can leave restless teenagers wanting more excitement.
Eaglepalooza, which took place in the Student Center , put the fast pace back into the program. It included information about events and groups on campus as well as carnival games in the Student Center. With the rush of the crowd near the information booths, students went in the Student Center and danced on the dance floor, got their portraits drawn and played carnival games like Hit-the-Can. Students also received vouchers for the many dining options at the Student Center.
Getting involved is a big part of being on campus, and student organizations help students achieve this goal. There are more than 280 student organizations on campus on almost every subject imaginable, and many are very active on campus. Fusion wanted to show Freshmen how easy it was to get involved, which is how Fajita Fest was started.
Tables that winded around the Student Center were set up for organizations. For many organizations, the table placement was first come first serve. A diverse amount of clubs provided physical demonstrations.
Near the fajita buffet entrance, there was a table with a simple paper sign that said “The Two Coolest Dudes On Campus.” There were two arrows on the sign. One arrow was pointed at psychology major Chanson Adams, and secondary education major Al Zolynsky.
“We decided to be at a table because we are awesome and we were bored,” Adams said. “We told people that being awesome was genetic for us and we didn’t know why. If we could explain it, we would try making others as awesome.”
During the course of three hours, Adams and Zolynsky collected 97 signatures they plan to put up on their wall.
Community service is a great way for students to help out in a fun way and if students are enrolled in the Honors College, at least 40 hours of community service are needed to graduate with university honors. For this reason, there are many community service opportunities on campus.
One of those many opportunities, is VISION: Community Plunge. Every year, Fusion lets newcomers experience what a community service group does first-hand.
Students, new and returning alike, woke up early to do a service project.
“I liked knowing that I made a difference,” said Danielle Sebranek after her second year participating in Community Plunge. “Because of me, Habitat for Humanity was able to provide more housing for those in need.”
For more information about Fusion visit www.emich.edu/fusion.
For information about student organizations and events on campus visit the Campus Life website at www.emich.edu/campuslife or visit the office on the third floor of the Student Center.