On Tuesday, March 5, Lasell College's School of Communication and the Arts hosted COMDay, an annual event earmarked by visits from industry professionals. This year, guest speakers and panelists were invited to speak about the event's theme, "In Pursuit of Truth."

The day began with a political communications panel moderated by The Boston Globe's Joshua Miller, a political reporter. Jim Conroy, senior advisor to Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, and Cyndi Roy Gonzalez, former communications officer for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, shared insights from their field experience.

"In a crisis, the most important thing [as a communicator] is to be quick and accurate," said Gonzalez.  

The event's Distinguished Speaker, Dan Shaughnessy, spoke about his 40-year career as a media professional covering local and national sports. Shaughnessy, a columnist and associate editor at The Boston Globe, advised aspiring journalists to get out of their comfort zones.  

"Don't sit in your room while watching the game and tell me what you think," he said with regard to today's "armchair quarterbacks." He encouraged students to speak directly with people. "Go out and report," he said.    

Keynote speaker Hank Phillippi Ryan, investigative reporter for WHDH-TV and best-selling crime author, cautioned students to consider their motivation for becoming journalists, noting that fame should not be their driving factor.    

Aaron Toffler, associate dean of Lasell's School of Communication and the Arts, moderated a panel on environmental communication with Dr. Paola Prado, associate professor of communications at Roger Williams University and Philip Shabecoff, former chief environmental correspondent for The New York Times.  

The event concluded with its annual Life After Lasell alumni panel and reception. Seven recent alumni returned to campus to speak about their careers and graduate school studies at organizations including CBS Philadelphia and the New England Patriots.   

Photos by Jenna Robinson '22, Matthew Searth '21, and Sydney Thurman '22