Four days before Taylor Swift arrived in Indianapolis to conclude the U.S. leg of her global Eras Tour, senior Isabella Ernsberger took a behind-the-scenes tour of the 70,000-seat concert venue: Lucas Oil Stadium. She and a group of classmates explored the stadium and met with Stadium Director Eric Neuburger just 12 hours before the stage was loaded in.

Ernsberger posted a TikTok showcasing the experience before going to bed. She woke up the next morning to over 13,000 views.

Hundreds of comments flooded in, asking about the details of the weekend and how Ernsberger secured such a unique opportunity. In a video reply, she shared about the College of Communication course that made it all possible: COM 301 Industry Intensive Experience.

“It’s one of the coolest things I’ve been able to do at Butler,” she says. “One of Butler’s biggest priorities is experiential learning, and I think this experience is going to be top-tier.”

The “pop-up” course connects students to timely attractions in Indiana’s event-centric capital for class credit, resumé-building, and volunteer opportunities. Ernsberger, an Organizational Communication and Leadership and Strategic Communication double major, said she is interested in a career in public relations post-graduation and loved getting an inside look at large scale event preparation.

From November 1–3, students on the “Swiftie Street Team” lined the streets in pink Visit Indy hoodies to help visitors locate parking, direct fans to Taylor Swift themed merch and events, take photos, and welcome over 200,000 fans to Indianapolis. Ernsberger said that several guests recognized the pink hoodies from her TikTok, which had gained 130,000 views by that weekend, and already knew to approach the Butler students with their questions.

“Volunteering itself was one of my most rewarding experiences while at Butler,” Ernsberger says. “Making the visitor experience in our city the best it could be and joining in with them in the fun was pure magic. I will definitely remember the friendship bracelet trading, picture taking, and sing-alongs for a long time.”

The course, taught by adjunct professor and Internship Director Bob Schultz, is designed to be able to pivot quickly to align with major events. As Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Events for Downtown Indy, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on improving Downtown Indianapolis, he’s seen firsthand how the Crossroads of America collaborates across industries to provide exceptional guest experiences.

“Once the class or volunteer experience is over, we unpack it, reverse engineer it, and talk about what all goes into putting on large-scale events,” Schultz says. “You have this great academic curriculum that makes a Butler degree so valuable in the marketplace, and layer into that hands-on experiences and resumé -building experiences before they step away with their degree, and now they can start seeing the world beyond the rhetorical. They’re not only going downtown and enjoying themselves; they’re providing a true civic volunteer role and meeting professionals.”

In addition to its most recent focus on the weekend of Taylor Swift concerts, the course has previously centered around the NBA All Star Games and Olympic Swim Trials. Both events brought buzz and tourism to Indianapolis and students were thrilled to be in on the action.

Junior Journalism major and Strategic Communication minor April Kirts enrolled for the Swiftie Street Team because she enjoyed learning under Schultz during the NBA All Star weekend. “One thing that I really appreciated from the All Star weekend class was how we had the opportunity to meet so many different professionals from Indiana Sports Corp and Downtown Indy,” Kirts says. “I liked how each of the classes connected us with organizations that work directly with the City of Indianapolis and would be incredible places to work after graduation.”

Schultz credited Butler’s culture of innovation, community building, and experiential learning for making COM 301 possible. He’s grateful for leaders like College of Communication Dean Joe Valenzano and Provost Brooke Barnett for their support in creating a course that can move nimbly from semester to semester.

“Only at a university like Butler can we develop a class that can be offered on a quick turnaround for students and that provides them real experience in the field that also benefits the community,” Valenzano says. “It is exciting to see students have the opportunity to gain credit for meaningful work that advances their career goals, while also showcasing the great City of Indianapolis and the industries our students enter when they graduate.”