Incoming freshmen bonded together over the weekend before the start of the school year at Pacific Union College’s annual Fusion retreat. The weekend’s activities included rock climbing, zip lining, line dancing, swimming and a talent show. Students worshipped together, both on Sabbath as one group and separately in smaller “family” groups.

“I really liked all the worships. When we were singing and everybody went in the front, we all felt like a family,” said Laura Helms, an English and education major from Placerville, Calif. “I liked getting to hang out with my Fusion group and getting to know them better, since they all live around me.”

The weekend provided the students with a chance to discuss their goals at the start of their college careers. “I look forward to getting fully adjusted to my new college lifestyle,” said nursing major Justin Springfield of Montrose, Calif. Like many of his peers, his goal is to succeed academically while managing his time to enjoy PUC’s lively social scene.

Helms said a goal of hers for this first year is “to reach out to people that don’t have as many friends and try to be friends with everybody I meet.”

Spiritually, students are also looking for ways to grow here at PUC. “I was hoping it was a really spiritual campus, and I would meet lots of people,” said Helms. “So far, it has been really spiritual.”

For Springfield, the spiritual aspect is one of the main reasons he is at PUC. “I chose PUC to…re-strengthen my relationship with God during the next four critical years of my life,” he said. “I look forward to understanding His bond with me more and more every day.”

Beyond the retreat, Fusion family groups will continue to meet regularly for the rest of freshman year for devotional worships and moral support.