Scholarly Research Outside Academia

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Demography as Destiny,”** on understanding the links between population trends and world events, with John Rennie Short, geographer, professor emeritus of public policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and author of *Demography and the Making of the Modern World: Public Policies and Demographic Forces.* [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-demography-destiny](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-demography-destiny) .] The size of a family doesn’t just affect food and clothing budgets and space needs. If it reflects a broader trend in birth rates, it also can have a profound impact on politics, the economy, and world affairs. Come to Washington D.C.’s Penn Social for a fascinating look at how demographic forces shape the modern world and have driven developments such as the Arab Spring, political unrest in Sri Lanka and Nepal, economic growth in Vietnam and India, the budget crisis in the United States, and the rise of nationalist populism in Europe. Dr. John Rennie Short, who has written several acclaimed books on world trends and gives excellent Profs and Pints talks focused on geopolitical affairs, will break down how various demographic changes can alter nations’ destinies. You’ll learn how baby booms can dampen economic growth, as has occurred in central Africa, and how a “youth bulge” caused by the aging of a baby boom provides tinder for social unrest, as happened in the United States of the 1960s and 1970s and is the case today in Nepal and Sri Lanka. We’ll look at the “demographic dividend” reaped when a youth bulge ages enough to become economically productive and the roles that such dividends played in periods of sustained economic growth in Japan, China, and, most recently, Vietnam. We’ll look at how the aging of a demographic bulge into retirement years can strain national budgets and strengthen the appeal of conservative or populist political movements. You’ll emerge from the talk better equipped to make sense of political and economic developments in the United States and elsewhere around the world. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image by Canva.

This CREATIVE HAPPY HOUR is for creative people and folks who appreciate creativity. Whether you attend, produce, appreciate, or promote, you are welcome to join us on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 from 5pm-7pm for CREATIVE HAPPY HOUR at Silver Branch Brewing Co in Silver Spring, MD. Register on Eventbrite at [https://HappyHour5-19-26.eventbrite.com](https://HappyHour5-19-26.eventbrite.com). Come meet, network, and enjoy. Only those ages 21 and up can attend. Happy Hour specials are from 5pm-6pm: $5.95 beer and select drinks. Entrance is free. This is a casual event. Register on Eventbrite at [https://HappyHour5-19-26.eventbrite.com](https://HappyHour5-19-26.eventbrite.com). Check out our DC Filmmakers T-shirts on Amazon at[ https://a.co/d/gXACa1Y](https://a.co/d/gXACa1Y) to help support the group. Enjoy delicious craft beers, tasty snacks, and great company in a relaxed atmosphere. Whether you're a beer enthusiast or just looking to unwind after a long day, this event is perfect for you. Don't miss out on the opportunity to kick back and relax with us at Silver Branch Brewing Co. Use the QR codes at the table to order food and drinks, and be prepared to mingle. Check out the[ Silver Branch Brewing Company's Menu](https://www.silverbranchbrewing.com/lagerhaus-biergarten/). PARKING: Paid parking available one block away at the county's Cameron Street Garage on 8530 Cameron Street (Better pricing than street or private parking.) See you there on 5/19/26! Register on Eventbrite at [https://HappyHour5-19-26.eventbrite.com](https://HappyHour5-19-26.eventbrite.com). This event is produced by[ DC Filmmakers Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/dcfilmmakers) in partnership with, [ ](https://reelabilities.org/greaterwash/)[ReelAbilities Film Festival: Greater Washington](https://reelabilities.org/greaterwash), [ TIVA](https://www.tivadc.org/) (Television, Internet, and Video Association of DC),[ WIFV](https://www.wifv.org/) (Women in Film & Video),[ Wheaton Film Festival](https://www.wheatonfilmfestival.com/),[ Docs in Progress](https://www.docsinprogress.org/), DC Media Makers Group, etc. Sponsored by[ Brian Frankel Law Firm PLLC](https://brianfrankel.com/),[ Creative Colony Spaces](https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/membership/overview), and Adobe Software.

We all sing. In the car, in the shower, at the pub. But many of us are unsure about our ability to sing in front of other people. The Arlingtones Barbershop Chorus wants to help you get the most beautiful sound possible from your voice with the confidence to perform. We love to sing – that’s why we do it and have for over 60 years. Join us for a Tuesday evening and we'll show you what Barbershop Music is all about. No experience or materials necessary.

Join us for another optional writing session! Feel free to bring a project you're already working on or start something new with us. If anything interesting comes up while you're writing, you can share it with the group, but no pressure!

Join us for Career Night to learn how our agency works, what we do, and how you can earn part-time or full-time income helping families with financial literacy and protection.

Girls Club MAY 20th WEDNESDAY “Weekly Run” @Smithsonian Metro (Mall Side) Washington, D.C. LADIES THIS IS A VERY RUNNING GROUP, PLEASE RSVP! Let's meet from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm on WEDNESDAY, MAY 20th for “Weekly Run” @Smithsonian Metro (Mall Side) in -Washington, D.C! This is a very popular run! PLEASE RSVP! We need RSVP 48-hours before the event to get a head count! We will all meet at 6:30PM at the Smithsonian for our weekly run! \*\*REQUIRED\*\*Must be Ages: 20s-30s \*\*REQUIRED\*\* RSVP Here! \*\*REQUIRED\*\*Join Meetup Club Here: [https://www.instagram.com/arlingtondcgirlsclub/](https://www.instagram.com/arlingtondcgirlsclub/) Girls-Club-20s-30s What: Weekly Running! Where: Smithsonian Metro (Mall Side) Washington, D.C. When: Friday, MAY 20th, 6:30pm - 8:30pm Train stations: Orange Line & Silver Line & Blue Line (Smithsonian Metro Train Stop) \*Mall Side SUMMER is ALMOST HERE!!! CHEERS!!! :)) \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*Disclosure\*\*\*\*\*\*\*If it rains, we will reschedule for the following week!

Our notorious expedition and curiosity for new venues in the area will take us to, this time around. After first formal session, we will rotate attendees. So that everyone meets everyone. You would get to meet your future friends/acquaintances/buddies/pals /partner-in-crimes or may be more:) To hang out/go out or do things together. Also, this is an ideal event if you are new in town or not! We will have specials, including our usual suspect MERtini:) It is one of our signature drinks. Dress code : Weekend Casual Event is 21+ * Come one, come all; YOU COULD FLY SOLO TOO:) This is the most friendliest event you have ever attended! * Feel free to invite your friends. They don't necessarily have to be a member * Ideal for either you are new in town or not, to make friends and acquaintances * RSVP on Meetup is required. That is how we check you in. However, no need to sign up on Eventbrite or any other social media platform or ticket link. PARKING INFO : Parking might be a challenge and the event involves drinking, we highly recommend you to get a shared ride or taxi service. DRINK RESPONSIBLY!

To secure your spot, purchase your ticket from the Eventbrite link ([https://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-devt-affairs-and-ngos-hh-with-teetotalersstudents-pass-tickets-880368996367](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/international-devt-affairs-and-ngos-hh-with-teetotalersstudents-pass-tickets-880368996367)). RSVPing only on the Meetup Page doesn't allow you to attend the Event. ADVANCE TICKET PURCHASE IS REQUIRED. ABOUT THE EVENT This Happy Hour is devoted to professionals in the International Affairs and Development community, to grow, interact, and learn from each other. It is designed to provide a professional environment to meet other International Affairs professionals to broaden one's career. It is also for those interested in International Affairs and Development careers and are studying or intend to enter the dynamic world of global development. METRO & PARKING INFO : The closest metro station is Woodley Park/Adams Morgan. Please check Metro's weekend truck work (https://www.wmata.com/) and plan accordingly. Street Parking might be a challenge. But if you plan to drive, try your luck on Champlain Street. Otherwise, there is a parking garage around. We highly recommend a shared ride or taxi service.

* We meet inside Zazzy * Bring something to read, as we often take some time at the beginning telling each other about what we're currently reading. * I have a favor to ask of you. To offset the cost of Meetup fees (\~$200 a year), I kindly request that you consider a small donation to my my [Pledge account](https://www.meetup.com/a-different-type-of-book-club-arlington/#pledge). 😊 **NOTE: NO DISCUSSION OF POLITICS: 12/31/21 UPDATE** For the sake of polite company, moving forward, we will avoid the discussion of politics at meetings of the book club. Please let me know if you have any questions. **NON-ATTENDANCE / NO-SHOW POLICY** If you have said that you will attend this event, but no longer are able to attend, please kindly update your status to "Not Attending" so that someone on the waitlist is able to RSVP. **Because this Meetup group is popular, and typically has a waitlist, effective immediately, I'm instituting a two-event no-show policy. If you RSVP as "Attending" but do not show at two events, you will be removed from this Meetup group.** We look forward to seeing you! Best, Jay

[Profs and Pints DC](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Popes and Politics,”** on the history of clashes between pontiffs and world leaders, with Vanessa Corcoran, medieval historian at Georgetown University and scholar of the history of the Roman Catholic church. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-popes-politics](https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/profsandpints/dc-popes-politics) .] President Trump recently shocked many by unleashing personal attacks on Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, in a post on the Truth Social platform. Trump has been widely criticized by religious leaders for these remarks, made in response to the pontiff’s advocacy of peace with the U.S and Israel at war with Iran, and for his separate posts of AI-generated images depicting himself as a pope and as Jesus. For his part, Pope Leo has told journalists, “I am not afraid of the Trump administration,” and has found himself at the center of a heated debate over the proper role of any pope when it comes to commenting on global politics. As unsettling as such developments might be to Roman Catholics, they’re hardly unprecedented. Disagreements between popes and world leaders go back to the Middle Ages, and have played a significant role in shaping the Church and its role in the world. Explore the long history of popes’ conflicts with politicians with Vanessa Corcoran, a historian of the Roman Catholic Church who previously has given excellent talks on papal conclaves and the evolution of nativity scenes. She’ll discuss fascinating developments such as the fourteenth century Avignon Papacy, when Philip IV of France got the upper hand in a feud with the Church by pressuring a papal conclave to select a French pope and then getting the church’s leadership relocated from Rome to Avignon for nearly 70 years. In drawing parallels between recent events and medieval attacks on the Church’s authority she’ll describe how today’s anti-Church memes echo the anti-pope and anti-Catholic images that Martin Luther disseminated in large numbers with the help of woodcut printing. We’ll look at tensions between past presidents and past popes over not just wars, but issues such as abortion, stem-cell research, and abortion access. The talk will leave you with a deeper appreciation of the inherent tensions between politics and matters of faith. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: From an 1866 Nicolò Barabino painting of the death of Pope Boniface VIII after he was kidnapped and held captive for three days at the behest of King Philip IV of France (Usher Gallery / Wikimedia Commons).

If you’re in town, let’s meet up for early dinner at Maru. It has a unique variety of Korean/Japanese cuisines including ramen, Chinese bao buns, etc. https://ratebava.com/index.html

This Happy Hour is devoted to professionals in the International Affairs and Development community, to grow, interact, and learn from each other. It is designed to provide a professional environment to meet other International Affairs professionals to broaden one's career. It is also for those interested in International Affairs and Development careers and are studying or intend to enter the dynamic world of global development. HOW IT WORKS : We will try to assign tables for each represented INDUSTRIES/SECTORS/SPECIALIZATIONS and will direct attendees to their respective tables accordingly. All industries are welcome! However we don't guarantee the availability of a partner in that particular field, you would like to exchange experience. PLEASE BRING YOUR SOFT/HARD COPY BUSINESS CARDS. Rules to abide : 1\. Event is 21\+ \(bring ID\)\. 2\. Be respectful to your counterparts and give them a chance to exchange with others as well\. 3\. We all specialize in one or two fields and be willing to engage others and try to accommodate as much as possible\. 4\. If you don't specialize in the other person's required discipline\, LEAVE THEM ALONE\. 5\. Rude or aggressive members are removed from the group at an organizers discretion\. 6\. This is a face\-to\-face event\. DO NOT try to arrange an online meeting\, by using the comment box or direct message\. 7\. Most of our members complained about people writing in the comment box\. Since it sends notification to all attendees\. If you have any questions\, send a message to the organizers\. Don't write in the comment box\. 8\. We have ZERO TOLERANCE for solicitation\. We don't allow anyone to run their own agenda at the Event\. If you are interested to promote/sponsor/collaborate; contact us via \(info@merevents\.com\)\. 9\. When you get there\, we greet you and take you to your respective group\. 10\. Don't be shy of your specializations\. We have diplomates assigned to different countries\, who would love to learn more from your experience\. 11. ***Please be patient for the first 30 minutes, up until we form a group with your respective industry/sector.*** ***AFTER THE SOCIAL, WE HIT THE DANCE FLOOR! BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES, WE WILL DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY!*** ***N.B. : We have ZERO TOLERANCE for solicitation. We don't allow anyone to run their own agenda at the Event. If you are interested to promote/sponsor/collaborate; contact us via ([info@merevents.com](http://info@merevents.com/)).***

Let’s meet and wander the galleries! General admission on Sundays is free.

Start your week the right way with Manic Mondays. Giving you an enjoyable Bachata lesson with a push of cool moves. The second hour has Beginner/Intermediate Salsa on 1. You must understand basic Salsa skills to participate. 730pm-830pm Bachata Cool Moves 830pm-930pm Salsa On 1 (Beginner/Intermediate) 15 for One Class 20 for Both Free Parking & Plenty of Dance Space. Viva Dance Columbus 2809 Festival Lane Dublin OH 43017

**Welcome to Drunken Philosophy** a casual, curious social discussion **Optional topic for this meetup: What's up with all the AI hate?** A recent survey found that 74% of Americans have a negative view of AI, and I want to know why. Come out and debate whether AI is good or bad. My hot take: a labor-saving tool that could potentially help cure cancer gets called dangerous because it might raise unemployment or cause a speculative investment bubble, that tells you a lot more about capitalism and the economic system we live under than it does about the tool itself. As a computer programmer, I think AI is a wonderful tool that has increased my productivity by at least an order of magnitude. I'd go so far as to say Claude Code is the best tool I have ever used. Debate me and name a better one. Is AI potentially dangerous? Yes, but so are a lot of tools. Chainsaws. Steam engines (early ones would occasionally explode and kill everyone in the room). Do you think cavemen sat around debating whether fire could be used as a weapon or for self-harm, and decided not to discover it? I have two friends who hate AI for opposite reasons: one thinks it's a fad and not useful, and the other thinks it's going to take over everything and cause human extinction. Come out tonight, have a friendly debate, and make some friends. No lectures. Friendly crowd. Drop in for one drink and stay if it's fun.

## Candle Making Night at The Arcane Foundry \| Design Your Own Custom Candle **SPECIAL PROMOTION**: Buy 3 and get 1 Free! Step into The Arcane Foundry and create your own custom candle from start to finish. This is a laid back, hands-on experience where **you’ll blend fragrances, choose your vessel, and pour your own candle using 100% soy wax**. Whether you’re coming solo or with friends, it’s designed to be simple, creative, and a good time. We’ll walk you through the entire process, from picking your scents to choosing between a traditional cotton wick or a crackling wood wick. You can go with one fragrance or mix your own blend to create something completely unique**. No experience needed**, just show up and we’ll handle the rest. While your candle sets, feel free to hang out, play a game, explore the shop, or just relax and talk. Drinks and snacks are available, and the atmosphere leans into the **fantasy**, **dark academia**, and **gothic horror** vibe The Arcane Foundry is known for. Learn More: [Candle Making in Columbus, Ohio at The Arcane Foundry](https://thearcanefoundry.com/candle-making/) *** ### What to Expect: * Guided candle making experience * Choose your own vessel, wax, wick, and fragrance * 100% soy wax candles * Optional drinks and snacks * Time to relax while your candle cools *** ### Important Notes: * Please arrive on time so we can start together * Candles will need time to set before taking home * This is a beginner-friendly event *** ### RSVP Required Reserve your spot on Meetup to lock in your seat. **Candle Making** (includes vessel, your choice of wick, wax, scented oil, labels and lids) 5oz Glass Jars $15 8oz Candle Tins $25 12oz Glass Candles $35 12oz Amber Jars $40 16 oz Skull or Jack o Lantern Candle Mugs $65 (Limited Edition!) **All materials included. You just bring yourself (and your drink of choice).** **Payments accepted:** * Credit Card * Venmo: @Daclaud-Lee * Cashapp: $DaclaudL

Who else is ready to sit outside? Join us for a casual chat over coffee & tea at Grandview Grind! Come out and meet some new people, enjoy your favorite drink, and make some new friends!

The Alliance is part of the Greater Central Ohio Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. We are an all-voices chorus dedicated to providing an inclusive environment for all those who love to sing, regardless of their race, gender identity, sexual orientation or musical background. The Alliance is the first and only all-voices barbershop chorus in Central Ohio. **Who:** Anyone with a passion for singing at a high level. Previous barbershop chorus/quartet experience not required. **When:** The Alliance rehearses weekly on Thursdays from 7pm-10pm. **Where:** Lord Of Life Lutheran Church: 2480 W Dublin Granville Rd, Columbus, OH 43235 To become a full member of The Alliance, we welcome you to start by visiting us for a few rehearsals to experience the group and sing with us! Then, you may begin the 2-part audition process for membership: the assessement, and audition. We strive to make our auditions as stress-free as possible to help you let your best singing self shine.

Join us for an introduction to writing grant proposals for your nonprofit organization, led by consultant Tiffany Nobles. We'll discuss the most common funder requirements and how to successfully meet them. We'll also share common pitfalls to avoid. This event is free and open to the public.