By Andrew Scalf, Emily Bontrager, Alexis Podgers and Grant Flora
Fusion 2026 wrapped up last weekend, April 9-12, seeing hundreds of high school students come to campus.
Volunteers across campus stepped into a variety of roles to support this influx
“We have a huge team of over 200 people helping out on the staff. So it’s been really cool just seeing how everything is coordinated,” Kyle Young said.
Kyle Young, an RA for the weekend long event, watched over a group of students in Bowman Hall.
“As a student RA, I am your first point of contact. So if you guys have problems or issues, just contact me. And really, if I can help, I definitely will, and if I can’t help, I will refer you to either the campus police or some of the higher reps that can help you,” Kyle Young said.
With over 800 students, security was a concern.
“We kind of try to wall off campus, if you will, trying to keep them out of the academic side of campus. Keeping them kind of in the area, making sure they’re not wandering out, especially after hours,” Addison Young said.
Working Fusion as a volunteer last year, Addison Young now works with campus police.
“For me, I just kind of reference what my youth pastor used to do, being a strong hand, while also not being a jerk about it,” Addison Young said. “In my experience, people always do better with boundaries. So when you set firm boundaries and you enforce them with love, everything’s going to be fine.”
Addison Young was able to demonstrate enforcement across both of his years of Fusion.
“Last year, one of my jobs was just walking upstairs in the recreation building we have, and I would find them, and I would say, ‘Hey guys, no purple,’ because it was just couples trying to find a quiet place in the rec,” Addison Young said.
With Fusion being centered around one main night of worship, the school had to prepare to host.
“But really, I can’t stress this enough. It falls on to the Fusion team and their leaders, and they do an excellent job every year,” Addison Young said. “It’s very structured, very student led. They have been working the whole year for this, not just this semester.”
Many volunteers were trained just on how to keep people moving.
“They used a funny story. I don’t know if I should go too much into delta of this, but basically, last year there was a kid who threw up, and so that clogged the whole lane of traffic,” Landon Langley said. “So basically standing in the doorway and saying, ‘Hey, if there’s anything that clogs up, go use another entrance.’”
Langley, a freshman volunteer, served on the production team acting as an usher, board operator, and as part of the green room staff.
“A lot of times it’s kind of hard to just, like, have a bunch of high schoolers invade, but also, this is an opportunity to share Christ with them. This is an opportunity to show them what college truly can be,” Langley said.
Spending their time on campus, students also have the opportunity for break out sessions.
“I usually don’t attend a lot of the sessions, but I will say that the few that I have attended are just a blessing,” Kyle Young said. “It’s been really encouraging for my own spiritual life, as well as that, going to the actual fusion concert is always a blast.”
Both Langley and Kyle Young said it is the interactions and connections that people take away the most.
“It’s really just a good experience for you to not only connect with friends, but also to try and emphasize opening your heart up to God,” Kyle Young said. “So allowing yourself to be enveloped in the comfortability, stepping out of your comfort zone to say, ‘Ok, I’m with all my friends. I’m at a place I don’t really know much.’ It’s really good for you to just allow yourself to feel and live and be in the moment. Enjoy yourself.”
This year’s Fusion concert headlined Switchfoot alongside SWU worship. IWU’s own Professor of Practical Theology, D.J. Coleman, DJed for the event.
