In 2026, the OSU Humanities Institute will launch Humanities on Tap, a monthly series of community presentations that strive to bring the humanities to life across Columbus. Each gathering offers an easygoing space to explore big ideas, hear fresh perspectives and connect with others. Led by local experts and storytellers, these talks make learning engaging, approachable and fun—perfect for curious minds throughout our community.

The first three installations of the series will be held at Budd Dairy Food Hall, a three-level culinary and event space in Columbus’s Italian Village that houses a food court and communal seating on all levels, including a rooftop patio. These events will be held in tandem with "Fourth Street Fridays," monthly open-air evenings featuring creative entertainment and special gatherings hosted by small businesses along North Fourth Street. 

The first event in the series will be on Friday, January 23. J. Rawls, hip hop musician, producer, DJ and assistant professor of hip hop at the OSU School of Music will present "Digging in the Crates: Listening to Music like a Hip Hop Producer." His presentation examines the act of "crate digging," or the practice of searching through crates of old records to find obscure or rare vinyl for sampling or collecting. Centering the “Hip Hop producer’s ear,” it explores how producers listen emotionally, intuitively, and critically to uncover sounds that hold cultural memory. 

Remaining events for the semester include:

Friday, February 27: Emma Todd, PhD student in the Department of History, will present a talk on the history of beer. More information on this talk coming soon.

Friday, March 27: Nicholas Booker, PhD student in musicology and ethnomusicology, will present "Pub Songs & Trivia: British and Irish Folk." Grab a pint, learn songs, answer some trivia and immerse yourself in the singing traditions of Cornwall, Wales, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Ireland.

Friday, April 24: Alex Sallade, associated faculty in the School of Music, will present "Immersive Sound in Video Games" at the LevelOne Barcade near Worthington. How does music and sound design in video games make you feel immersed, despite it being a virtual world? He'll explore the audio techniques that are used by game designers to bring fantastical realms to life. 

Events will begin at 6:30 pm. For more information, follow each link to the specific event page.

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.