Nearly 3,000 Rutgers University students, alumni, faculty, and staff gathered at The Yard on College Avenue on April 9 for the third annual #COMMchella Music Festival.

The aim of the event was to celebrate and promote the communication major at Rutgers and inform undeclared majors, transfer students, and prospective Rutgers students about majoring in communication at SC&I.

"Our third COMMchella Music Festival was an incredible culmination to our #BeCOMM campaign and celebration of the communication major at Rutgers University," said Mark Beal, Assistant Professor of Practice, Communication. "More than 2,500 attendees including current communication majors, faculty and graduates of the major came together as one diverse and inclusive community. One highlight of the day, in addition to the music, was the opportunity for current communication majors to connect and collaborate with more than two dozen graduates of the program who now work across public relations, advertising and marketing at corporations, brands, media companies and agencies as part of the Career Conversations section of COMMchella."

The COMMchella music lineup was headlined by SNACKTIME, a popular band based in Philadelphia. Jake Thistle, a sophomore double majoring in communication and journalism and media studies, was the first music act to perform. Thistle was awarded Indie Boulevard’s “Best Americana Song of 2022” for his song “Ghosted Road.” Other music acts included Ophiocoma and Kyphosis which both feature Rutgers students as bandmates.   

In addition to the music, the event included many other exciting activities. The SC&I office of career services hosted interactive career conversations, and resume writing clinics. A LinkedIn photographer offered students free professional headshots to help enhance their online presence. Members of Rutgers student organizations focused on the communication major, related skills and professions attended and engaged with attendees.

The event also featured appearances by the Department of Communication faculty; the Scarlet Knight mascot Sir Henry; a sketch artist; the pop-up shop RU Thrifty; free Krispy Pizza; and free #BeCOMM branded merchandise.

Commenting on the success of the event, one Rutgers Business School student proactively introduced himself to Beal and said, "There is no major at Rutgers that creatively markets and promotes an area of study the way the communication department does!"  

Reviewing the event by the numbers, Beal reported:

• 150: More than 150 current students participated in the Career Conversations section of COMMchella where they connected and collaborated with alums.
• 100: Nearly 100 students had headshots taken by a professional photographer.
• 25: More than 25 communication major alums returned to campus and participated in Career Conversations with current students.
• 12: More than 12 organizations hosted tables at the event, including RU Sure, Scarlet PR, PRSSA, RPSO, WRSU, Rutgers Riot Squad, Lambda Pi Eta, RU Thrifty, Rutgers Weather Watchers, MCM Marketing, Rutgers Career Exploration & Success, SC&I Student Advising.   
• 4: The event was produced and livestreamed for four hours by our MCM students.
• 3: For the first time, the Communication Department secured corporate support from three sponsors - Warner Bros. Discovery, SHI International, and RWJ Barnabas Health. Executives from all three companies attended the event, including three from Warner Bros. Discovery.

Garrison Wilson COM’19, assistant manager, promotion, planning & scheduling for HBO, who participated in the interactive career conversations with current Communication majors, said, “It was a full circle moment to be a part of COMMchella, as a proud Rutgers alumnus. I learned valuable skills as a Communications major at Rutgers that prepared me for a successful career at HBO. I loved speaking to students, especially those with an aspiration to join the entertainment industry and giving them advice how to best leverage their education to build a career and brand that fulfills them.”

“Congratulations to the Communication department for a third year of the highly successful COMMchella music festival that brings visibility to the department and the school and infuses College Avenue with excitement and positive energy,” said SC&I Interim Dean Dafna Lemish. “I thank Mark Beal and Brian Householder for making this happen, Marya Doerfel for leading the department, and all the faculty, students, and staff who lent a hand!” 

Learn more about the SC&I Communication Department on the Rutgers School of Communication and Information website.