With many new trends “in” for the 2026 year, there are also a few trends that have been left in 2025, such as slow walkers, winning the national championship and Taylor Tower. Graphic: Faith Schneider | Arts & Life Photo Editor
January is the time to get settled into the new year, drafting personal expectations and goals for the upcoming months.
Resolutions aren’t the only lists people are drafting, though. For years, people have compiled their personal “ins and outs” lists for the year — things they’ll leave behind in the old year, and things they hope to bring into the new.
Using responses from a poll on The Lantern’s Instagram story, as well as personal picks by the Arts & Life desk, read on to learn what’s in — and what’s out — at Ohio State this year.
Ins:
Backpack snacks
School days are long. Even if you don’t have that many classes in a day, you have club meetings, a workout class, or any kind of errand that will leave you out all day. Thinking, learning, walking, remembering, these all use up energy. It’s important we fuel ourselves throughout the day to keep us sharp.
Maybe you could stop at home in between tasks, but, how efficient is it really? Any college student must carry a snack on them at all times. Even if you’re not on the go, you never know when hunger may strike when you’re in no position to obtain any food.
Pretzels, crackers, dried fruits, a protein bar — anything spill-free that can withstand the pressure of other things in your backpack is the way to go. Being hungry in class or at a meeting does no good for anyone.
Of course, be mindful of when you indulge in your portable fuel. Take note of the ambience of a classroom before taking out a snack with a loud crunch or potent scent. Snacking in between classes in a building’s lobby will always be your best bet.
Wearing sunglasses on your walk to class
Although Columbus is cloudy and grey six months out of the year, that doesn’t mean there isn’t bright light outside. Especially in the winter months after a fresh snow, it can be blinding walking on campus. Not to mention how disorienting it can be going from a basement classroom with no windows to the white and grey outdoors. The solution: a good pair of shades.
There really are no downsides. You’re protecting your eyes, looking super cool and also able to avoid any and all eye contact, so if you have to pass that one person you’d rather not see on the way to lecture, you’re safe. Plus, we already do enough squinting in class to see the board or while processing what the professor just said, so we don’t need to be squinting on our walk to class too. Wear an affordable pair that you can throw in your backpack during class for the safest results — or invest in a sunglasses case.
Making friends with your classmates
This isn’t the year to be antisocial in your classes. We know how difficult it can be, especially in the winter months, to come into class in a social mood. However, striking up a conversation with the people around you is simply necessary in the big 2026.
It really has no downsides. You make a class friend, and it makes class not so boring, you’re able to ask them questions about the course, you have someone to relate to if the professor is tough, and who knows, maybe the friendship will eventually extend beyond the walls of the classroom.
If you’re seeing this and you haven’t spoken to a classmate yet, it’s not too late. It’s still early, impressions aren’t set in stone yet, and a simple compliment on an item of clothing or laptop sticker will go a long way. If a classmate doesn’t give you the same energy back, at least you tried.
Movie theaters
Movie theaters have always been in, but they need to be in this year more than ever. With Netflix looking to acquire Warner Bros. and co-CEO Ted Sarandos saying the theatrical business is a “dying business model,” movie theaters are struggling.
Streaming services have made films so accessible — perhaps too accessible — that consumers are shifting from the sit-down public experience to the more intimate, at-home watch. In combination with rising costs and the unaffordability of movie theater tickets and concessions, the box office has been struggling to reach pre-pandemic numbers.
Students, take advantage of the services Ohio State has to offer. Go to the Union and get discounted Gateway Film Center tickets at the information desk for $3.50. Go watch the film screenings at the Wexner Center for the Arts, many of which are free for students to attend. It’s relatively cheap, entertaining and important in helping local and independent cinema thrive.
Eating and shopping locally
This year, we’re saying no to chains and embracing the independent and local businesses that make Columbus a hot spot for creatives and artists alike. The arts scene in the city is so vivid, and it relies on Ohio State students to fuel both its funding and inspiration.
There is no better way to spend a free day in the University District than simply exploring High Street and all that it has to offer. A multitude of independent shops and restaurants in the area patiently await their turn in the spotlight, and it is our responsibility — in 2026 — to take the same chance on them that they are actively taking on us.
Through exploring these independent businesses, we can find hidden gems within our local community. Your new favorite brunch spot, a go to thrift store or a late night eatery — all of these exist within the boundaries of Columbus. We just have to give them the opportunity to prove their potential.
Two’s Under High
After years of speculation, memories and persistent rumors, Two’s Under High is officially coming back to campus in 2026, exactly where many students hoped it would be.
According to updates shared on the bar’s Instagram, Two’s will be reopening in the basement beneath Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace at the corner of Woodruff Avenue and High Street. The space was previously home to Larry’s Bar and Sloppy Donkey, placing Two’s right back in the heart of campus nightlife and just steps away from Buckeye Donuts.
As part of the iconic “number bars” family, Two’s Under High — originally Too’s Under High — has long held a place in Ohio State bar culture. Its return to High Street feels intentional, leaning into its history rather than trying to rebrand or relocate elsewhere. The owners have emphasized their commitment to reopening in a “glorious basement under High Street,” framing the comeback as both a revival and a statement.
In an era where campus bars are constantly changing hands or moving farther from campus, Two’s return feels like a nod to tradition, and that’s exactly why it’s an in for 2026.
Studying off-campus
When it comes to finding a quiet place to study during exam season, campus libraries, building nooks and lakeside benches are every student’s worst nightmare — endless seats to offer, but every one of them taken. Therefore, we urge students to venture out from the boundaries of campus and explore Columbus in search of a productive study space in the new year.
Whether it’s getting to know the area up north towards Clintonville, checking out cafés such as Cup O Joe and Kafe Kerouac, or discovering more spots in the renowned and beloved Short North, such as Fox In the Snow, there are endless spots to be claimed. Ohio State students have the opportunity to support local business whilst taking advantage of local scenery through exploring off campus ambiance.
When you need to crack down on your studying resolutions this new year, don’t spend an hour circling Thompson Library’s 11 floors. Instead, give a hole in the wall spot a chance — it might surprise you.
Outs:
Slow walkers
This isn’t in reference to people who cannot physically walk fast. This is in reference to the people who walk in the middle of the sidewalk as slow as humanly possible, typically head down scrolling on their phone.
Sidewalk traffic is its own thing to navigate — walk on the right side and move over to let the faster people pass if they need to. It’s ultimately not a hard thing to do and requires little to no effort.
No one is asking slow walkers to change their habits. Don’t walk fast if you don’t want to. But others have a high sense of urgency, or a tendency to run late, so show some respect and step aside. People have places to be.
This is a deeply personal out, but was also cited by two students in the Instagram poll. Let’s pick up the pace in 2026.
Electric scooters
Some students mentioned electric scooters as an out for 2026 in The Lantern’s Instagram polling.
Scooters are everywhere. They’re a less-intensive form of transportation — there’s no pedaling involved in scootering — and, as many scooter users seem to think, the traffic laws don’t apply. Sure, there are responsible drivers who abide by the “no bikes or scooters” signs in the Oval, but there’s also a handful of drivers who weave through people in the crosswalk and blow through stop signs.
For that reason, electric scooters are out for 2026. Honorary ins for 2026 include taking public transit, biking and abiding by traffic laws.
Taylor Tower
Taylor Tower had a rough year, and by “rough,” we mean it flooded.
After significant flooding forced students out of the residence hall, many were left scrambling to find alternate housing for the semester. For a building meant to be a dependable home base, the situation quickly turned into a logistical nightmare involving temporary housing, uncertainty and frustration.
For that reason, Taylor Tower is firmly out for 2026. Housing should be stressful enough without surprise evacuations and mid-semester moves.
Another National Championship
Another national championship is out for 2026 for Ohio State.
Going into the season, there were high expectations for the Buckeyes, but the team did not make it to the national championship game. While there were strong moments throughout the season, the result did not match what many fans were hoping for.
As 2026 begins, Ohio State will not be celebrating a national title. Although there is always excitement heading into the next season, another national championship is out for now.
Michigan Athletics
At Ohio State, this was never in, but it’s certainly out this year. An athletic department drowning in scandal, not just on the football team — though that is the main focus at the moment — but in other sports as well. It seems as though sports fans across the country have opened their eyes to how disreputable Michigan Athletics has become in recent years.
The football team in particular is at a low, finishing up the 2025 season with the loss of their head coach, a loss to the Buckeyes, a drop from 14th ranked in the preseason to 18th ranked by the end of the year and a whole lot of bad press.
How long will it take to rebuild? Only time will tell, but for now, it’s safe to say the Wolverines are out in 2026, and for the Buckeyes, always.
North Campus Dunkin’ Donuts
With upcoming plans to demolish the Ohio Stater apartment lot, and with it the neighboring Dunkin’ Donuts storefront, students residing on North campus are going to be tasked with finding alternative morning coffee spots to depend on.
With the newly established 7 Brew Coffee location, located at 2118 N. High St., students have also been introduced to the extravagant possibilities when it comes to crafting a perfect coffee order — the chain features flavored coffee, iced and frozen energy drinks and caffeine-free flavored sodas, according to the website. Not only is their quick service a major selling point, but their atmosphere as well.
Small independent coffee shops are making a name for themselves as well — creating even more competition for a run down place like Dunkin’ Donuts, which is the sad, but true, reality.
The Little Bar
It has been breaking news on every student’s mind that The Little Bar was set to be demolished Jan. 12 to make room for new apartment complexes, per prior Lantern reporting. However, the bar still stands at 2195 N. High St., and students have continued to fill it each night of the week.
While The Little Bar has been a campus staple for the past 20 years, it has officially run its course. The bar continues to open its doors for the time being, and in return, students have filled the establishment with joy, friendship and celebration.
The Ohio State community will undoubtedly mourn the loss of The Little Bar following its eventual closure, but within this, its legacy will continue to live on through shared and cherished memories.
