Alex Popichak, Globe Editor Elect

With a deep passion for writing, freshman Alexander Popichak got the call up that any aspiring journalist could only dream of earlier this semester, the title of Editor Elect within the Globe. Popichak will succeed sophomore Josh Croup as the editor in chief of the newspaper starting with the spring 2017 semester.

HC: Tell me about yourself

Where do you want me to start? I’m a guy that does a lot of things. I’m a freshman journalism major and broadcast production minor, I’m Editor-Elect at the Globe, I host two radio shows on WPPJ (Globe Live Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m. and On the Horizon Saturdays from 8-10 p.m.), I’m a member of USG, and there are probably some other things I’m forgetting. Basically, I journalism. 

HC: You’re a freshman and are already holding the title of Editor Elect for The Globe. How did you know journalism was the right fit for you?

It’s really roundabout, but what it came down to was a passion for storytelling and writing. I was trying to figure out what to major in my sophomore and junior year of high school and looking back I realized that I had created and worked on the newspaper at my high school, I love photography and graphic design, so journalism seemed like the right mix of it all. Before coming to Point Park, I had never taken a proper journalism class –  I was making it up as I went along –  and while I continue the path of making it up as I go along, writing for the Globe confirmed for me that I’m at least halfway decent at this journalism thing.

HC: Besides journalism, what are your other passions, hobbies and interests?

I quite love photography, that’s my main hobby outside of writing. I also really like canoeing and hiking. When I started with the Boy Scouts, I hated camping. I eventually grew to love it – or at least the being outdoors part of it. My obscure interest is probably my 1992 Ford Tempo I’ve nicknamed the Golf Cart. Or my wiener dog named Rotor. 

HC: What made Point Park stand out from other universities you applied to? (If there were others.)

I’ll be honest, Point Park was the only university I applied to, but that was because I had done my research my junior year. Point Park sets itself apart in its practicality. Professors by and large are or were working professionals in the fields they teach, and you can be involved with anything and everything you want from day one. My research into other journalism schools revealed it’s theory based for the first year or so, and I wanted to know if I could write as soon as possible. Also, the location is perfect – I love that it’s a university built around the city as opposed to vice-versa. I grew up five miles outside of the city, and I really do love Pittsburgh, so Point Park’s practicality and location were ideal for me.

HC: Would you rather be trapped in an elevator for 8 hours with Donald Trump or the Kardashian family?

See, that’s a hard one. While Donald Trump is a singular human being whereas the Kardashian family is large and would make me claustrophobic after a while, I feel like they could give good business advice. On the other hand, I can do a terrible Donald Trump impression so I might just attempt to bother him for 8 hours straight. I can almost guarantee he’d drive me mad in that 8 hours though. So the smart choice is the Kardashians, but the more entertaining choice is Donald Trump. For sanity’s sake I’ll go with the Kardashians. And that’s just because I can’t do 50/50. 

HC: Being an Eagle Scout, how do the qualities instilled in you within that organization transfer over to your new title of Editor-Elect? 

Above all else, leadership, team building and delegation are the key ones. I use the Scout Law as my guiding ethical principles because honestly they’re a good road map to being a good person. In journalism you have to be trustworthy, have a loyalty to your readership, creative in your craft and you have to conduct yourself professionally. As Editor-Elect, you’re essentially the second-in-command administrator to the campus paper. That being said, the two of us don’t publish the paper in a vacuum: we have a great group of writers, photographers, and editors who come together to make the Globe possible. You can’t micromanage, and you have to learn to delegate to the rest of the staff what needs done. Further, you really have to trust the people you’re working with. I stand behind our reporting not only because our staff consists of great people, but because we’re passionate about what we do, and want to do it well. Earning Eagle is a test drive for carrying out projects in the real world: you have to coordinate and use the skills you learned at the start to accomplish what needs done. Being Editor-Elect is essentially the same thing, only instead of cleaning a sign and doing some landscape work, you’re putting together a newspaper every week. They both have their challenges, but I feel the leadership skillset is essentially the same.