The Power of Music: Rock the Intern Day
By Ryan Vezina (’27)
Music is a powerful thing; it brings people together in many ways. Music can heal through lyrics, connect musicians to listeners, and bring together fans who share the same taste. Rock the Intern Day is no different; it brings together students from all different majors to create something bigger and offer opportunities that are often a dream come true.
The Rock the Intern Day program enables students to collaborate with BankNH Pavilion and gain firsthand experience in a professional music venue. It allows students to bring their creativity to life by creating a number of life-size graphic design elements, social media content, blogs, T-shirts, and so much more. Rock the Intern Day is now in its 14th year, and the current team leads for each major have had the opportunity to participate in this work for the past few years.
Domenick Donati (Communication major, class of ‘26) has worked on Rock the Intern Day for two years, and this year, he serves as a team lead dedicated to finding ways to involve new majors in the program. He is currently working with the Psychology and Justice Studies departments to do research in support of this year’s charitable focus, Our Rescue.
Our Rescue is a non-profit organization that RaeLynn, one of the opening musicians at Rock The Intern Day, supports. The organization works to provide preventive care and survivor support to victims of sex trafficking and child exploitation while spreading awareness of these dangers. Psychology students have been researching their mission to design posters that will be displayed around BankNH Pavilion to support the organization’s efforts.
Domenick has also been working with Southern New Hampshire University’s Sustainability department to research sustainable practices to benefit the music industry. Relationships with majors like Construction Management, Justice Studies and Game Design have been continued as well, highlighting the constant growth and evolution of this program.
Hailee Bulger (Business Management major, class of ‘27), the Business Management Intern for Rock the Intern Day, has a passion for music which inspired her to get involved. She is very eager to learn more about the ins and outs of the music industry and has spent time researching contract negotiations, artist relations, and hospitality. She describes being an intern as an opportunity to gain more hands-on experience and learn from accomplished professionals in the music industry.
This year’s Rock the Intern Day will be on Saturday, May 30th. With Luke Bryan being the headlining performer, students put on their spurs and hopped right on the creative bandwagon. The Communication students created “Step Into Your Spotlight” as a tagline for this year’s Rock the Intern Day as well as created TikTok ideas for promotional material. The Graphic Design team has put together design concepts for shirts, flyers, and will soon be starting on a large upright pillar design that will be displayed at BankNH Pavilion throughout their 2026 season.
Join Us at BankNH Pavilion for Rock The Intern Day!
By Patrick DeFelice
On May 30th, BankNH Pavilion will be hosting Rock the Intern Day, featuring country music superstar Luke Bryan as this year’s headlining performer. While fans eagerly await the concert, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) students have been collaborating with the venue to make the event an enjoyable and memorable experience.
Rock the Intern Day offers students the chance to work with professionals in the live-music industry at one of New Hampshire’s biggest venues. Students from a wide variety of majors spend the semester preparing for the event and gain hands-on experience in communication, graphic design, videography, research, and event operations along the way. Here’s what this year’s teams will be working on to bring Rock the Intern Day to life!
The Communication team will be responsible for amplifying excitement surrounding Rock the Intern Day. Students will plan and produce social media content related to the event to be posted on various accounts for both SNHU and BankNH Pavilion. They are also responsible for creating other promotional content, such as a press release, as well as the blog you’re reading right now!
Domenick Donati (‘26), a former member of the Communications team and now lead for coordinating efforts in Psychology, Sustainability, and more, said, “Working on the 2025 Rock the Intern Day team under Laura Riggle (‘25) as our project lead, two other COM students and I created TikToks, email blasts, blog posts, and more marketing content. This experience helped me understand more of the behind-the-scenes of a big venue like BankNH Pavilion, and the process of planning and executing events.” The work of the Communications team ensures that Rock the Intern Day reaches a wide audience and highlights the partnership between SNHU and BankNH Pavilion in real time.
Over on the Graphic Design team, they oversee the creation of the Rock the Intern Day logo, as well as other digital materials such as web banners. This year’s slogan, “Step into your Spotlight,” will guide how teams go about creating and incorporating imagery into promotional content for the concert. Current Graphic Design team lead Caitlin Dunleavy (’26) says of her prior experience working on Rock the Intern Day, “I got to learn so much about what goes into creating digital work for a music venue and how different aspects of the Pavilion prepare for their first shows of the season.” The job of the Graphic Design team is to bring the show to life by creating visuals that catch attention and generate excitement around the event.
Rock the Intern Day is a powerful learning experience for students, giving them the opportunity to help manage a large-scale event at one of the biggest venues in the state of New Hampshire. This year’s teams have been working hard to help make the experience of Pavilion visitors unforgettable. By creating promotional materials collaboratively, students are able to express their creativity with one another and see their efforts come to life in a real-world setting. Join us May 30th for Rock the Intern Day, we can’t wait to see you there!
