An Editor’s thank you.

by Mike Kehoe and Cassie LeBel

Managing Editor, Mike Kehoe

It is hard for me to put into words just what these last three semesters have meant to me. I was named the Managing Editor for the MainSheet here at Cape Cod Community College (4Cs) in the Spring of 2019 and since then I have poured my blood, sweat and tears into trying to deliver the community the newspaper that it deserves.

I came into the job thinking that I knew it all because of my previous years of experience in the field, writing about sports for various different news outlets across Massachusetts. How wrong I was. Professor Kerry Drohan helped open my eyes to the world of newspaper production beyond my simple understanding. Putting together a newspaper is about so much more than just being able to write well.

And over the last three semesters I have learned so much about producing a newspaper. I’ve learned design and layout. I’ve learned editing. I’ve learned coming with story lists and delegating different assignments to reporters and being a sounding board for anyone who may be struggling with their story. I learned about teamwork and I learned about leadership and I learned about patience.

I cannot be more thankful for my partner in crime throughout all this, MainSheet Editor Cassie LeBel. I have been fortunate enough to watch her grow and learn and become the amazing journalist that she is today. We should all expect great things from her because her future in this industry is a bright one. She will always be my Editor-In-Chief.

Other thanks go out to the amazing help we’ve had along the way. All the students who submitted stories or took photos or walked around campus trying to get students to answer the ‘Question of the Week’. Special shoutout to Design Editor Dave Penney, who helped Cassie and I so much even when he was no longer a student at 4Cs, simply because he wanted to help.

With the industry the way it is right now, being a journalist is scarier than ever. There is no certainty. Corporations are buying up small papers and then gutting them. Even less in demand are sports reporters, especially at a time when there are quite simply no sports being played. But sports journalism is what I love to do, so I’m not giving up on it. 4Cs was a great chapter of my career and really my life, but I am ready for the next challenge.

Thank you to everyone who ever took the time to read something I wrote over these past three semesters. It’s been a wild ride, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. And once the world gets back to some semblance of normalcy and sports are finally back, keep a lookout in your local papers, because I guarantee you’re going to see my name in the bylines.

Stay strong, we will all get through this together. One day at a time.

—Mike Kehoe

Editor-in-Chief, Cassie LeBel

When I enrolled in my first few classes at Cape Cod Community College (4Cs) four years ago, I pretty much had zero expectations for what was in store. All that I was sure of back in the fall of 2016 was that before leaving home officially and going away to school, I wanted to have a definite major in mind. This is what made attending community college seem like the only fit for me, and yet I still had no idea about the amount of opportunities, both academically and socially, that would go on to present themselves to me while attending this school.

In my time at 4Cs, I have managed to be given the honor of editing two on-campus publications. First was the Sea Change, our school’s arts and literary magazine, which gave me the push I needed to check out the world of journalism. At the end of my first semester of taking a journalism course I was offered the position of Editor-in-Chief of the MainSheet, the school’s weekly newspaper.  As someone who felt like she struggled when it came to talking with people and taking the lead, I felt way in over my head. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t say ‘yes’, so suddenly the job was mine and I couldn’t be more grateful for deciding to take that jump.

It is completely thanks to the people that supported me throughout my time as editor that I was able to find my footing and feel like maybe I could handle the job after all.

From the start of my journalistic endeavors, Professor Kerry Drohan made me feel confident in my ability to write a news article. I still remember sitting down for my first critique, hearing how strong it was and then being asked if that was the first article I had ever written. It was. As someone who was entering this aspect of writing for the first time, I was given a lot of trust by Professor Drohan when he appointed me editor. His encouragement of me was constant as I utilized his office hours just about every day for reassurance that I was always on the right track. Every conversation I had with Professor Drohan was one that led me closer to the person that I am today.

Just about every member of the language and literature department at 4Cs deserves a piece of my thanks. Whether I was a previous student of theirs or simply just a passerby through their lively hall, every Professor made sure to leave me with a smile and thoughtful words to take with me throughout my day.

Dave Penney, who has been volunteering as our Design Editor since my first semester as editor in the spring of 2019, has taught me more than I ever thought I’d be able to comprehend when it comes to layout and graphic design. I owe him so much for spending hours upon hair-pulling hours of his time each week to make sure each page was completed to perfection. When it came time for me to start learning this role, he endured thousands of questions without hesitation. On top of Dave being a joy to have in the office, it is also thanks to him that I am able to appreciate journalism from all sides of the process.

Finally, and arguably most importantly, I must thank Mike Kehoe for being my Managing Editor and standing by my side every step of the way. I remember at the start of this journey, being completely overwhelmed by a job that I knew nothing about. Mike’s experience in the field of journalism mixed with his kindness and passion for the industry immediately made this whole thing seem plausible, knowing that I would have him by my side. Over these semesters I have been so incredibly grateful to be able to work with his talent. He is always able to find the words to explain what I cannot, to laugh with me about the simple things we know we cannot change about this process and I have to say, no one can write a punchy lede quite like Mike. Things are always unpredictable, while running the school paper and just in life in general, but I always knew that whatever happened, everything would work out because of my amazing teammate, and even better friend.

There are so many more people I haven’t mentioned that I wish I could thank personally, but I truly believe that everyone I have come in contact with on this campus has impacted me for the better, whether they realized it or not. From the amazing groups of students that I was trusted to help lead, to the sweet librarians and every other staff and faculty member who has popped their head into the MainSheet office, or teased me about my coffee problem, I thank them for the impact they have left.

Every Tuesday for three semesters was just as exciting as the one before it, as there’s nothing quite like the feeling of seeing the newest pile of newspapers delivered each week. It’s the first thing about the job that had me feeling as though I finally found where I’m meant to be, or so I thought. As deadlines fast approached to apply to other schools, I started to realize I was dealing with the same problem I had faced four years ago when I decided to enroll at community college. I still didn’t feel sure of what I truly wanted to study moving forward. Differently from four years ago though, I can now see that not knowing is also okay.

It is thanks to the professors that saw something in me, thanks to the students’ work that I had the privilege of being able to publish and truly thanks to 4Cs as well as the MainSheet that I am able to leave this college feeling more like myself than I did when I entered it.

I came to this school with the expectations that I would know exactly what I wanted to do when I left it, and I don’t. I decided though, that what I leave this school with is something much better. I may not know exactly what I’m doing come fall, but whatever it is I am going in with a better understanding of all that I am capable of achieving.

I am also so incredibly moved to announce next semester’s editor: Victoria Chiaramonte. From the start of her time on the MainSheet, Victoria has been a kindhearted, and diligent writer. Her title has expanded during her second semester as she took on the lead coordination role of our Mental Wellness series. She always came to our meetings spreading smiles and ideas and I’m so excited to be able to pass this paper on to someone as genuine, reliable and eager as she always is.

Thank you so much for an incredible three semesters. This experience was a gift and I’m honored as well as humbled looking back on everything that has happened in that time.

Categories: Editorials, People