Guest Statement by Jessica Lim | Open letter to the Class of 2019 on why I'm running for president

My name is Jessica Lim and I am running for Class Board 2019 President. Having had the honor to be on Class Board 2019 and work with the amazing humans on Class Board, as the Vice President of Internal Affairs, the decision to run was difficult for me. It’s pretty terrifying to put yourself out there for the “popular vote,” especially at the end of junior year. I’m writing to share why I took that leap. 

Over the past few years, I’ve gotten to see both the possibilities and limitations of this arm of Penn Student Government. I am passionate about Class Board and the fact that we only hosted four events of our own despite having a very large budget, has been extremely frustrating for me. Four is too small a number. Class Board shouldn’t be about self-promotion, simply checking off the boxes of “putting on events,” or putting our name on a cover photo for a “collaboration” event. It’s about putting our class first and creating events that bring us together. 

That withstanding, there have only been six (six!) woman presidents of Class Board over the past 40 years. After speaking to older Class Board women, I realized that we have difficulty seeking recognition for the work we’re doing. We have historically been afraid to chase after the recognition we rightly deserve. I’ve personally taken the lead on many of our events — since coming back from abroad, I have spearheaded the Reu-Night at Smokes event and our upcoming Holi celebration. I am the one frequently meeting with our advisors and reaching out to other campus organizations about Class Board, and I have been since freshman year. 

All of my members – our members — have been too: special shoutouts to Allysha Davis for spearheading Smokes Round 2 this Thursday and Candy Alfaro for advocating for our reformed financial aid process.  I love being on Class Board and creating events, but I can’t help but feel that I could do more if I could lead our direction. Internally, as a board, we have a lot of work to do (especially if we plan on bringing you an amazing #FebClub19). 

I am running for President because I’ve decided it is time that women get recognized for the work we’re doing. I’ve decided it is time that all of Class Board’s efforts, and the organizations we’ve partnered with, are acknowledged. And, I’ve decided that I wanted to lead the team that I love so dearly into our senior year so that we can do more for our class. 

My platform can be found at my event page “Elect Jess Lim for 2019 Class Board President.” If you are able to read it, please keep in mind that the events Class Board hosts are not mine, they are ours. At the end of the day, Class Board is a team that works for YOU – your ideas, comments, and critique are encouraged and welcomed. 

Ultimately, elections are tough and, to be very honest, anxiety-inducing. Regardless of the outcome, I’ve been incredibly honored by the amount of kindness and support that my friends and peers (and Class Board alums) have shown me during my campaign. I’m glad I’m putting myself out there. 

Here’s to getting the credit we deserve and leading a team with empathy, understanding, and love first. Here’s to being #LIMitless. 

JESSICA LIM is a College junior studying urban studies. She is running for Class Board of 2019 President. You can find out more about her campaign on Facebook. Visit pennstudgov.com from April 3-5 to vote.