Junior Class Board seeks applications for new VPEA

As a result of Wharton junior Rohan Grover’s recent resignation from his position as Vice President of External Affairs, the Junior Class Board is currently accepting applications for VPEA.

According to Adam Behrens, the president of the Junior Class Board, Grover’s resignation after two and a half years at the position was “a mutual decision” between the entire class board. Grover said his resignation was a “peaceful departure.”

A week before Grover resigned, he was elected chair of the Asian Pacific Student Coalition and along with his other commitments, he felt like he could no longer give his position as VPEA top priority.

According to Grover, he had a “really positive experience” as VPEA. He said he enjoyed being able to keep Penn’s history and traditions alive within the student government by making sure that everyone had a memorable experience.

Grover praised the Junior Class Board with his comment that out of the three class boards he had “experienced” in his career as VPEA, he believes that this current one is “probably the most fun and most united class board yet.”

He said he “would highly recommend for anyone who is interested in giving back to the school and to the class to apply for the position.”

The VPEA is one of the two people on the board who is responsible for reaching out to external groups, according to Behrens. Additionally, the VPEA creates protocol for how the class board will handle requests to sponsor events and takes the initiative to seek out opportunities of which the board might otherwise be unaware.

Last year, the class board created a new and separate constitution from that of the Undergraduate Assembly, which changed the application process for class board positions.

Behrens, one of the main figures responsible for this change, said he believed that in the past the application process was unclear and not open to all students.

The new protocol dictates that anyone can apply for the position by submitting the application and partaking in an interview with the current Junior Class Board.

Behrens said they will probably interview everyone who applies because the success of a class board depends on how they function as a team.

“We can’t know from a sheet of paper if someone will be good,” Behrens said.

They are looking for an applicant who is fresh, has a good attitude and who will give a “new dynamic to the board.”

Historically, this position has been underdeveloped and under utilized, mainly because of the budget, Behrens said. The board is looking for someone resourceful who will be able to push to find other means to make events happen.

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