Thursday, December 17, 2020

Tiger Inn Supports Staff Via GoFundMe Due to Closure Amid the Pandemic


Based in New York, Benjamin Spacapan is an alumnus of Princeton University. During his time there, Benjamin Spacapan joined the Tiger Inn (TI) eating club, and he continues to donate to the organization. In response to TI’s continued closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, club officers launched a fundraising campaign to help unemployed TI staff to maintain financial stability.


Tiger Inn is one of 11 eating clubs that cater to Princeton University students, offering a lifetime membership that provides dining options and social opportunities. Operating independently of the university, it is operated by a team composed of professional club managers, graduate boards, and undergraduate officers. On March 13, 2020, TI closed for the first time in support of Princeton’s efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19. Additionally, it announced in early December that it will remain closed for the 2021 spring semester.

Concerned for the well-being of the club staff, the 2020-2021 TI officer corps created a GoFundMe campaign in July 2020 that calls on TI’s alumni community and members to donate to help staff members who have been financially impacted as a result of the club’s need to pause operations. In addition, T1 suggests a donation of $100, which is approximately a day’s worth of work. The GoFundMe campaign has set a $100,000 goal.

The tradition of Princeton Eating Clubs began in 1879, a time when Princeton University did not offer dining facilities to students. To address this gap, students established clubs featuring a comfortable atmosphere for dining and socializing. A unique part of the university, Princeton Eating Clubs maintain a reputation as a popular option for junior- and senior-year Princeton students.

For more information about the staff fundraiser, visit www.GoFundMe.com/f/Tiger-Inn-Staff-Fundraiser.

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Published: Habitat for Humanity Takes Steps Against Racism


I published “Habitat for Humanity Takes Steps Against Racism” on @Medium https://ift.tt/390GGMa

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Best Buddies Encourages Connection on Campus


A recent law and MBA graduate from Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, Benjamin Spacapan has held positions with H.I.G. Capital and UBS Securities. Benjamin Spacapan is a cum laude graduate of Princeton University, where he received a degree in Near Eastern History, was nominated for the Quin Morton '36 Writing Seminar Prize, and volunteered with the Best Buddies Friendship program.

Active on college campuses in all 50 states, the Best Buddies program pairs students without intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) with fellow students or community members with IDD. Pairing people by geographic location as well as age and interests, the program encourages participants to communicate at least once a week by email, phone, or social media, as well as to spend one-on-one time in person at least twice a month.

Additionally, local Best Buddies offices plan various group meet-ups throughout the year. To ensure the continued success of matched pairs, Best Buddies keep in touch with program participants through intermittent check-ins.

Monday, April 6, 2020

Volunteer as a Tutor or Mentor with Chicago Tutoring Connection


Currently studying for his MBA and JD simultaneously at Harvard University, Benjamin Spacapan expects to graduate in May of 2020. Committed to philanthropic efforts, Benjamin Spacapan has volunteered with organizations such as Cabrini Connections, now known as Chicago Tutoring Connection.

Since its founding in 1992, Chicago Tutoring Connection has sought to empower students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds through tutoring and mentoring services. Honored as the area's top tutor/mentor program by the City of Chicago's Department of Family and Support Services, the organization assists students in 7th through 12th grade across the Chicago area.

In order to provide its services free of charge, Chicago Tutoring Connection relies on volunteers who commit to meeting regularly with students. Volunteers work with the students to establish goals for the tutoring sessions, which take place weekly at the Jesse White Community Center.

Individuals who are interested in volunteering must complete a mandatory training for recognition and reporting of child abuse. To fill out an application or learn more about volunteering as a mentor, visit the organization's website at https://myctc.org/.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Key Fields to Develop an Understanding of Foreign Policy


Benjamin Spacapan is a graduate student at Harvard University pursuing both an MBA and a JD. In addition, Benjamin Spacapan studied history at Princeton University and holds a special interest in foreign policy and international affairs.

Entering the world of international relations takes time and a lot of work. If you want a deep understanding of how countries and their populations interact, there are a few areas of study that will help substantially. First and foremost, any aspiring foreign policy expert should know the history of their selected area. Historical context matters more than perhaps any other single thing, and finding the right people to learn it from is crucial.

Another important area of study is statistics. Here too, serious students will have a basic understanding of the concepts, but more than that is required to understand the nuanced decisions and their consequences on the world stage. Statistics is baked into the language of foreign policy so much that without a working knowledge, it’s almost impossible to make a meaningful contribution in the field.