Is Compromise on Abortion Even Possible?
Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. in Smith 5097
Daniel K. Williams (Ashland University)
Abortion remains one of the most divisive issues in American public life, shaping elections, legislation, and even political identities.
Given the issue's moral complexity and political significance, is meaningful compromise possible?
Can Americans seek common ground and find policy solutions, or are some disagreements simply irreconcilable?
Is Religion in America Thriving or Retreating?
Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. in Smith 5097
Jesse Smith (The Ohio State University)
For decades, reports have suggested that belief in God and religious participation are declining across the United States.
Yet some recent polls, social media trends, and news stories point to renewed interest in religion among Gen Z.
So, which story is true? Is America losing its religion, leveling off, or headed toward a spiritual revival?
Is Watching Evil… Evil?
Oct. 13 at 5 p.m. in Smith 5097
Laura Siscoe (The Ohio State University)
True crime documentaries, podcasts, television shows, and films have become some of the most popular forms of entertainment.
Millions of people willingly consume stories depicting gruesome violence and horrific crimes.
Is this fascination harmless, or does regularly watching evil shape our character in ways we should take seriously?
Movie Night: Cromwell (1970)
Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. in Smith 5097
In collaboration with Can We Rule Ourselves? (CIVICLL 2000), 2h 25m
Disillusioned by the policies of King Charles I (Alec Guinness), Oliver Cromwell (Richard Harris) prepares to leave England for the New World.
Instead, he becomes a central figure in the political and religious struggles that erupt into the English Civil War, forever changing the course of Western constitutional history.
Moral Men and Immoral Compromise? The Question of Slavery at the Federal Convention of 1787
Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. in Smith 5097
Constantine Vassiliou (University of Colorado, Colorado Springs)
The question of slavery was among the most contentious issues debated at the Constitutional Convention.
Were the compromises that made the Constitution possible morally defensible, or did they betray the nation’s founding principles?
Should All Speech (No Matter How Dangerous) Be Protected?
Nov. 3 at 5 p.m. in Smith 5097
Nathan Goetting (Adrian College and the University of Toledo College of Law)
How far does the First Amendment's protection of free speech extend?
Do citizens have a right to express hateful, offensive, or even dangerous views or can society limit speech sometimes in favor of other interests?
Movie Night: National Treasure (2004), 2h 10m
Nov. 17 at 5 p.m. in Smith 5097 / Arne Slettebak Planetarium
Celebrate America's 250th anniversary with this action-adventure classic! Historian and treasure hunter Benjamin Gates (Nicolas Cage) races to uncover a legendary treasure hidden by the Founding Fathers—beginning with a daring plan to steal the Declaration of Independence.
Formal Dinner: Why Is Limitless Freedom Producing Diminished Human Beings? (By Invitation Only)
Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. at The Ohio State University Faculty Club
Carl R. Trueman (Grove City College)
Modern society promises unprecedented freedom and individual choice, yet many people report rising loneliness, anxiety, and confusion about identity and purpose. Why has greater personal autonomy not produced greater human flourishing? What have we gained and what might we have lost?
Past Chase Society Events
Spring 2026
Game Night: Athens Besieged (special 90-minute event)
Spartans are outside the gates—will you starve or surrender, and how? Get details about the game
Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097
Full and Frank Exchange of Views on Free Trade
Does America’s economy need the rest of the world?
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Dr. Jacob Hall, Assistant Professor, Chase Center
Movie Night: Legally Blonde (96 minutes, plus discussion)
Who belongs in the legal profession?
Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Reese Witherspoon takes on Harvard Law
Is Marxism Dead? (Special Wednesday event)
Does Marx have anything to teach us about political thought, economics, and social movements?
Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Dr. Chris Cutrone, "The Last Marxist"
Jazz and Civil Rights
How does music contribute to citizenship?
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Jack Marchbanks, host and producer of Jazz Sunday, WCBE Radio
Movie Night: “Dave” (1 hour, 50 minutes, plus discussion)
What could an ordinary citizen accomplish as president?
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver in a political comedy
Movie Night: Marshall (2 hours, plus discussion)
How can we tackle longstanding American injustices?
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Starring Chadwick Boseman as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall
How Did The World Get So Ugly?
Should we seek to return to Victorian sensibilities on form and function?
Tuesday, March 10, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Dr. James Hooks, Assistant Professor, Chase Center
French Political Theory
What can Montesquieu and Toqueville teach Americans about themselves?
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Dr. Luke J. Foster, Hillsdale College, Washington, D.C., campus
Movie Night: “The Candidate” (1 hour, 50 minutes, plus discussion)
Without a candidate to run for the senate seat against an admired Republican, a campaign manager recruits leftist lawyer Bill McKay (Robert Redford) in this Academy-award winning movie.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097
What Are Schools For?
What are the philosophical and political presuppositions of both the proponents and critics of systematized public schooling?
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Dr. Dallas Terry, Kinder Institute
All Things Immigration (rescheduled from February)
How should we weigh the costs and benefits of different sorts of immigration?
Tuesday, April 21 | 5 p.m. at Smith 5097 | Dr. Dan DiMartino, Manhattan Institute
Autumn 2025
Plato’s Republic and You
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | Dr. James Hooks
Originalism: What is it? Is it a Good Idea?
Tuesday, September 9, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | Profs. Ned Foley and Chris Green
Natural Property Rights
Monday, September 22, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | Prof. Eric Claeys
Tales From Seven Presidencies
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | President Gordon Gee
To Begin the World Over again: Ronald Reagan and the Founding Fathers at the End of the Cold War
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | Dr. Matthew Frakes
A View From the Legislature
Tuesday, October 14, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | Senator Jerry C. Cirino
It Don’t Mean a Thing: Albert Murray and The Politics of the Blues Idiom
Tuesday, October 21, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | Dr. Nicholas Anderson
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death: The Idea of Freedom in American Political Thought
Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | Dr. Adam Seagrave
No Safety for Union Men: Military Occupation in Virginia during the Civil War
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | Dr. Brianna Frakes
The Supreme Court and Wrongful Convictions
Thursday, December 4, 2025 | 5pm at Smith 5097 | Prof. Nathan Goetting