Sometimes, PJ Alampi needs to pause.

The junior film major has a learning disability that makes it harder for him to process information. He rarely does anything without having a thought-out, step-by-step process.

“I think differently,” he said. “It takes me a bit longer to process certain information, but that gives me a much wider perspective which allows me to plan everything perfectly and create a long and clear process for my goals.”

The redheaded, plaid-loving, bow-tie-enthusiast film major from Glen Ridge, N.J., has successfully turned his learning disability into an asset for his work in film and student politics alike.

This need to plan makes him a strong candidate for Student Association president. Alampi has been a member of SA since his freshman year and currently serves as chair of the Student Life Committee.

Outside his office on the bottom floor of the Schine Student Center, Alampi weaved in and out of hallways, finally reaching a barren lounge room.

“That’s one issue stressed on my platform for the race,” he said, gesturing around the room. “We have so much unused space, and I want to help students find comfortable places to study other than the library.”

Unused space is just one of the many parts of Alampi’s platform, “Connecting Cuse,” which involves bridging the gap between SA and the student body.

“We are not just our home college, our student organization, our housing hall,” he said. “We’re connecting with students and we’re connecting with each other. We need to step out and do something new with the Student Association.”

If elected, Alampi wants to hold bimonthly meetings in public places like E.S. Bird Library and dining halls to gain attention and participation.

He wants to put an end to the disconnection happening between students and their student government, he said.

“If I am elected, I really plan to look at our structure in SA and create great foundations for the future, and provide for our students’ needs and not just organization leaders’ financial needs,” he said.

His campaign is centered on breaking the stereotype that SA’s primary focus is on allocating funding to student organizations.

“I want to fully support new organizations on campus by creating mentorship programs to help students properly budget new organizations to prevent them from failing,” he said.

Being a film major, Alampi said he brings a much different, creative outlook to student government.

He compared his campaign platform to making a film, as both require serious, long-term planning.

In a film, there are different stages, screen shots, actors and planning involved. SA demands similar actions, he said. Everything must flow together to create a successful finished product for all to enjoy.

Alampi’s desire to create that finished product stems from his high school experience and dealing with a disability that caused him to feel disconnected from his student body.

“I struggled a little bit,” he said. “Once I became involved in student government I felt like I belonged and I could really make a positive impact on my peers with hard work.”

Syracuse University’s school pride intrigued him and the strong alumni system encouraged him to get involved his freshman year, he said.

President Dylan Lustig described Alampi as one of the most outgoing, passionate and hard-working people he has had the pleasure of working with.

“You can never catch him in a bad mood; he is always so upbeat,” Lustig said.

His campaign manager, Jenny Choi, recalls meeting Alampi the first week of school when they first became involved in SA.

“PJ does not think about himself — only others,” she said. “You can see how much he cares in the actions he has taken in charge of the Student Life Committee.”

One example of this is the Otto’s Army busing for away games that Alampi helped organize, in order to give the fans the opportunity to travel and support their team, Choi said.

But more than anything, Alampi said, he wants to be a resource for students.

“I want to make SA accessible for students,” he said. “It’s not fair to demand that they come to us with issues. We need to go right to them.”

Published on November 8, 2012 at 1:48 am

Contact Erin: erkelly@syr.edu