On Saturday, October 19, 2024. La Mesa, The Residential Oasis for Intercultural Engagement, held The Fusion Experience, a night full of music, dancing, and fun.

The Fusion experience is an annual event for organizations to showcase their talents in the form of dancing. Students, staff and families were encouraged to attend to watch these organizations perform. Asian Student Alliance, Stockton’s K-Pop Dance Team; Take X, Stockton Tap, The Irish Dance Club, and The Crew At Stockton all performed. The performances are a testament to Stockton’s diverse student body and the freedom performing arts can give someone. 

“I am always so happy to perform with Take X. This was our first performance of the semester, so I felt a bit nervous. But seeing that the crowd was hyping all the performances up eased the nerves. I love performing with everyone in Take X and watching our performances get better and better. I know all the time and love that goes into preparing a performance, so I am very proud of all the fantastic performances we saw at Fusion. The Crew was my favorite; they were amazing. It was very fun to be a part of this event. Kiaraa was very nice and did a great job organizing the event.” Loriangely Diaz, a Take X performer and attendee, stated.

Kiaraa Fulton, the coordinator for The Fusion Experience, gave some insight on how planning this event goes. “Planning for Fusion is always interesting. Rounding up the talented performers, coordinating with different campus partners to help sponsor/design the event, and working through the overall logistics of the program is always tough but ultimately rewarding.” Kiaraa said. She went on to explain how The Fusion Experience was inspired by New York City, “With thousands of people from all walks of life it’s almost impossible not to learn from neighbors, appreciate differences + similarities, and infuse various customs of others into your daily life. That is the experience we try to create through The Fusion Experience! At its core, The Fusion Experience is a dance party; but, with elements of students dressed in traditional garb, performances from cultural organizations, and a DJ highlighting various music genres, it truly becomes a complete cultural exchange.” Kiaraa goes on to explain that her favorite part about the Fusion event is the joy that students and families who attend get to experience every year.