Rider Rocks out again

By Teagan Rotella

As the sun set behind the trees that surround the Ben Cohen Field parking lot, the highly anticipated Rock Fest finally began.

On Sept. 11, Rider held its annual Rock Fest event, where live music, inflatables and food trucks created community for incoming and returning students.

At the start of the event, students quickly gathered around the five food trucks lined up on the right side of the parking lot.

The food trucks: Kona Ice, Yooo Cuz, Empanada Guy, Nomad Pizza and Smoke House, each handed out their own unique food options that highlight their business.

A favorite among students was Kona Ice, due to the warm weather and tasty flavor options for the shaved ice. 

“When I got here, it was really hot out and this is really cooling me down,” said Jayla Wysocki, a sophomore history and secondary education major.

On the left side, near the entrance, was a backdrop and camera for photoshoots with friends, inflatable axe throwing and air-brushed tattoos.

The main attractions were the inflatable obstacle course and mechanical-bull ride, both of which students had to sign waivers for before getting on.

In the center of the lot were enlarged lawn games, such as an inflatable cornhole game and a giant, physical game of balance Tetris. There were also several white foldable tables and chairs for students to sit at while they ate food and listened to the live music.

On the stage stood four singers and a few band members. Smoke and multi-colored lights shone on the stage behind them while they covered a wide variety of songs, such as “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus, “Hot In Herre” by Nelly, “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 and “A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay. Each singer had their own chance to shine as they rotated who the vocalist was throughout the night.

Despite having a good time at the event, some students commented on the difference in location.

“It’s definitely more of a walk than last year from over in the dorms. So, a little harder to find,” said Natalie Cunningham, a sophomore music education major.

Rock Fest has not been held at the Ben Cohen Field parking lot since 2022. For the past three years, Rock Fest took place either at the Campus Green or the Student Recreation Center. 

“I think that last year, when it was a little bit tighter of a space, it was a little bit better. But, I still love the environment,” said Antonio Goffredo, a sophomore accounting major.

While some students were not fans of the new location, others preferred it.

“Last year, [Rock Fest] was much closer together. I think I like this year’s [location] better,” said Jenna Augustine, a sophomore musical theater major. “There’s more room to breathe and the music’s loud, but not too loud.”

Chris McQueen, director of campus activities, shared his reasoning for the new location of this event, which he helped coordinate and execute.

“Holding Rock Fest toward the back of campus gave students another reason to explore and experience an area they may not visit regularly,” McQueen said. “I think there is a lot of opportunity for us to continue thinking creatively about how we use the entire campus as programming space.”

Each student loved a different part of Rock Fest, proving how successful the event was.

“[Rock Fest] has something for everybody. There’s live music, there’s games, there’s food trucks, there’s bouncy houses. Like there’s everything here for people,” said Laytin, a junior music production major. 

Reflecting on all of the effort put into the event, McQueen said, “When you spend so much time planning something behind the scenes, there is a moment when you can finally look around and see students enjoying what you’ve helped create. That’s the part that makes the work worthwhile for me.”