HI Announces Fall "Humanities On Tap" Community Events
In the winter of 2026, The Ohio State Humanities Institute launched Humanities on Tap (HoT), a monthly series of community events that bring the humanities to life across Columbus. The HoT lineup for autumn semester will feature a new series of gatherings offering an easygoing space to explore big ideas, hear fresh perspectives and connect with friends. Led by local experts and storytellers, these talks are engaging, approachable and social—perfect for curious minds throughout our community.
Topics this autumn include improving attention span through engaging with nature; finding joy in advocacy; and celebrating Ohio folklore. We'll kick it all off with a celebration and performance from Fly Casual, the rock band of our own director, Ryan Skinner.
All Humanities on Tap event are free, open to the public and welcoming to everyone.
Note that the originally-scheduled September event with artist Amy Youngs will be rescheduled to spring 2027.
Autumn 2026 Humanities on Tap Events
Series Kick-Off Celebration
Friday, August 28
Rambling House Music Bar
Help us launch this semester's Humanities on Tap (HoT) series at the Rambling House Music Bar. We will showcase our upcoming fall HoT events and other Humanities Institute activities, but we’re also putting on a show! Music will be provided by local rock band Fly Casual—featuring HI Director Ryan Skinner on drums. Come ready to listen, dance, socialize and get excited about this year’s programming at the Humanities Institute. Doors open at 5 pm, with music starting at 6.
RoboCop with Peter Weller
Thursday, September 17
Studio 35
The Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse will partner with the Humanities Institute to host a screening of RoboCop with actor and director Peter Weller hosting a Q+A. Don't miss your chance to meet this iconic Hollywood star!
A sci-fi classic, RoboCop (1987) is a prophetic satire of neoliberalism, corporate overreach and the commodification of the human soul. In dystopian Detroit, police officer Alex Murphy (played by Peter Weller) is murdered by a gang and resurrected by Omni Consumer Products (OCP) as RoboCop, a cyborg law enforcer. As fragments of his humanity resurface, Murphy seeks justice, ultimately confronting the tension between man and machine.
Tickets
There will be a limited amount of free tickets available to OSU students, the free ticket link is here.
General admission tickets are $15. Be sure to pre-purchase tickets for this event so you have a seat!
Joyful Advocacy in Troubled Times
Friday, October 23
Budd Dairy Food Hall
Do you feel committed to positive change but paralyzed by the magnitude of crises and harms? Harried and overwhelmed by competing calls to action? Exhausted and disconnected from the meaning of your efforts? Join Ashley Hope Pérez (Associate Professor of Comparative Studies) for some inspiration and practical strategies for cultivating advocacy that is a joy to sustain.
Dr. Pérez draws on her experiences responding to censorship since 2021, when her novel Out of Darkness became one of the most banned books in the United States. Her advocacy has taken many forms, from public speaking and interviews, to editing Banned Together: Our Fight for Readers’ Rights (an anthology of banned writers), to directing the Unite to Read Project, a three-year Mellon Foundation-funded initiative at OSU. She’ll share the lessons she learned in the process and how she continues to orient toward passions and sources of joy (and let go of shame and “shoulds”).
This event will be held at Budd Dairy Food Hall during "Fourth Street Fridays," monthly open-air evenings featuring creative entertainment and special gatherings hosted by small businesses along North Fourth Street in Italian Village.
Moth-Vember
November 6 - 19
Locations vary
This November marks the 60th anniversary of the first Mothman sightings in Ohio and West Virginia. To commemorate this legendary piece of Ohio folklore, the Humanities Institute is partnering with the OSU Center for Folklore Studies for three exciting events:
- The Mothman Prophecies Screening, November 16: Catch a special showing of the film at the Gateway Film Center and meet the curators of the Mothman Museum with a Q+A following the movie. Come early for a special cryptid meet & greet. Events start at 6, with the movie starting at 7.
- The William Hammond Lecture: Join us that same week for a talk with renowned folklorist David J. Puglia, author of North American Monsters: A Contemporary Legend Casebook. Date and location are currently TBD.
- Cryptid Makerspace: Unleash your inner artist at an open art studio event on November 6th in 198 Hagerty Hall from 1 to 4 pm.
See our event page for these and other events throughout the autumn semester.
For more information about the "Humanities on Tap" community event series, please contact Ryan Skinner, Director of the Humanities Institute and Professor and Area Head for Musicology and Music Theory.