Photo courtesy of MCT

While it is difficult to know what each Butler graduate is doing with his or her life at this moment, it is unlikely that many are pursuing a career like that of 2003 graduate Ed Carpenter.

As some car racing fans likely know, Carpenter competes in the IndyCar Series.

In the series, 31-year-old Carpenter has the opportunity to qualify for and compete in multiple races each year, including the Indianapolis 500.

The 96th running of the Indy 500 will take place May 27, with Carpenter looking to improve on his 11th-place finish in the race last year.

While Carpenter did eventually end up on one of racing’s biggest stages—he qualified for the Indy 500 for the first time in 2004—he said he got his start racing quarter midgets at eight years of age.

“[My father] asked my brother and I if we wanted to run the quarter midgets,” Carpenter said. “We were both really excited about the opportunity and just never looked back.”

Not too long after, Carpenter said he made the decision to pursue a career in racing.

This choice was not something that every member of Carpenter’s family approved of though.

“I think my mom would’ve preferred I do something else,” Carpenter said. “When she realized I wasn’t going to be getting money doing anything else, she was always supportive.”

Carpenter’s parents said that as long as he was racing with their cars, he would have to go to college.

Carpenter said he ended up choosing Butler over the likes of Indiana, Indiana State and Denver State because he liked the school and its location.

Because Carpenter continued to race cars as a student, he said his passion for racing never waned despite being a part of Butler’s College of Business.

Richard Fetter, an associate marketing professor, is one member of the Butler faculty with whom Carpenter said he has kept in touch.

Fetter was the dean of the College of Business while Carpenter was a student and said the two were introduced through a mutual friend.

“Ed is such a good guy,” Fetter said. “He’s a high-quality person, and it’s been fun to watch him grow and develop.”

Michael Kaltenmark, 2002 graduate and director of web marketing communications, said he did not cross paths with Carpenter often as a student, but he vouched for Kaltenmark when Vision Racing—the racing team of which Carpenter was a member of from 2005 to 2009—was looking for public relations help.

Kaltenmark said that Carpenter has many qualities that helped him become a race car driver.

“He has a very level head, he’s responsible and he’s intelligent,” Kaltenmark said. “There’s a reason owners don’t have a problem giving Ed the keys.”

Photo courtesy of MCT

Carpenter said that persistence and the ability to network are two key needs for all race car drivers.

Putting his persistence on display, Carpenter broke into the IndyCar Series shortly after graduating from Butler.

His first race was at Chicagoland Speedway in 2003 for PDM Racing. He took 13th place while also competing in an Indy Lights Series race for A.J. Foyt Enterprises the same weekend.

“It was a very rewarding feeling, feeling like I had made it to where I was trying to get all my career,” Carpenter said.

Since that race, Carpenter has competed in the IndyCar Series each year, although he has driven for five different teams in the process.

Last year, Carpenter succeeded in winning an IndyCar race, taking first place in the Kentucky Indy 300 for Sarah Fisher Racing.

“It was only a matter of time,” Kaltenmark said. “He’s consistent and smooth—especially on ovals—so when that race happened, it was like it finally all came together for him.”

Carpenter called the victory “a relief” and “rewarding.”

Since then, Carpenter has become the owner of his own racing stable, Ed Carpenter Racing.

Carpenter said that while he is not sure when he may retire from professional racing, the formation of Ed Carpenter Racing is already preparing him for his career after racing.

“It’s more of a long-term plan,” Carpenter said. “Hopefully we’ll have partners involved with the team and can foster relationships that will allow us to be successful.”

Carpenter said his time at Butler assisted him in becoming both a professional driver and the owner of a racing group.

“[Going to Butler] helped me to be prepared for anything in life, whether it’s driving or running a business,” Carpenter said. “I think you have to be able to collect your thoughts, manage your time and have your attention focused on multiple different places, and those kinds of things were drilled into us in the business school.”

Some universities are made to suffer the effects of odd, awkward or just downright weird mascots—consider Purdue Pete, Syracuse’s Otto the Orange, Delta State’s Fighting Okra and Stanford’s Cardinal Tree.

Butler University has been far more fortunate in this regard.

Not only is Butler Blue II, the current Butler mascot, still spunky in his seventh year of life —bulldogs usually live for about eight to 12 years—but he also consistently receives glowing remarks from his veterinarian, Kurt Phillips.

Bulldogs can face a large number of conventional health issues associated with the average bulldog.

The list of medical problems includes congenital heart disease, lymphoma, digestive disorders, loose kneecaps and pinched nostrils.

“Blue II is doing very well,” Phillips said. “He is quite athletic and fit for his breed, being kept so active.”

Photo by Maria Porter

Butler also has a budget set aside for Blue II. The majority of it is used for marketing, and the costs of nearly all of Blue II’s needs—including transportation, food and health services—are met through donations and gifts.

The only major cost is time, according to his owner Michael Kaltenmark, director of web marketing communications.

“It’s all positive,” he said. “There are certainly sacrifices we make—our nights and weekends get chewed up—but we find time to catch up.”

“We keep him as healthy as we can,” Phillips said.

Phillips most recently extracted a tooth and has been dealing with Blue II’s reversed eyelashes for some time.

Both issues are relatively minor compared to the more common problems found in English bulldogs.

“We always have a hesitancy with older bulldogs,” Phillips said, “and Blue is certainly a senior in his breed.”

Kaltenmark said Blue II is doing amazingly well, especially for how packed his schedule is.

The photo shoots and high-scale appearances would be the first things to go if Blue II started wavering, Kaltenmark said.

“I am always cognizent of him giving me signals,” Kaltenmark said. “But he is completely taken care of.

“For example, [he has] built-in naps so he’s not overworked or overtired. We take advantage of the PR, but his health comes first.”

Butler’s bulldog mascot has represented the school all across the nation, from local appearances with children to nationally-televised features on ESPN.

Blue II has become a prime-time phenomenon, attracting nearly 10,000 followers on his Twitter account @ButlerBlue2, which is run by Kaltenmark.

Blue II also has his own website, YouTube channel, Facebook page and sponsorships, including support from Nike, Holistic Select and Good Dog Hotel and Spa.

“Blue II is not your average bulldog,” Kaltenmark said. “He’s got it made.”

The New York Times recently published an article covering the health of bulldogs used as mascots, pointing out the supposed abuse live mascots put up with.

The author of the piece, Benoit Denizet-Lewis, specifically mentioned a letter from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to Georgia’s athletic director after the death of its last bulldog mascot, “asking him to use an ‘anamatronic dog’ or to rely solely on the school’s costumed bulldog mascot.”

“It is time for the university to put an end to the cycle of suffering endured by dogs who are brought into the world solely to represent the school’s brand,’’ PETA member Kristie Phelps said in the letter.

Any worry surrounding the well-being of Blue II has been kept to a minimum.

Butler’s future mascot, Blue III, could already be on his—or her—way, however.

The Twitter handle @ButlerBlue3 has already been claimed, with 72 followers and a biography pointing users to Blue II’s official Twitter account.

Blue II’s status as Butler’s mascot appears safe for now, though.

“If his health starts to deteriorate, that will be something to take note of,” Phillips said, “but I don’t anticipate that happening anytime soon.”

Social media jobs are a relatively new and growing option for college graduates who consider Facebook and Twitter secondary majors.

Jennifer McConnell, career adviser in Butler University’s internship and career services department, said social media jobs are not uncommon today.

“There has definitely been an increase [in social media jobs],” McConnell said. “It has really taken off in the past two to three years.”

McConnell said that according to voluntary surveys, some class of 2011 Butler grads have gone on to work in social media jobs.

Michael Kaltenmark, Butler alumnus and director of web marketing and communications, handles Butler’s social media presence.

To students, he may be familiar as the person on the other end of Blue II’s leash, but Kaltenmark manages a Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and blog, among other platforms for the mascot.

He said that students who aspire to work in web marketing need a basic set of skills.

“More than anything, it helps to be able to write well,” Kaltenmark said. “There are people out there who are killing it on social media without any public relations training.”

McConnell said that, according to data collected by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers highly value communication skills.

“One thing [we] hear over over again from employers is to  please tell students not to email like they’re texting,” McConnell said.

Social media jobs are becoming a real, viable career option for college students.

On Oct. 18, students may have noticed the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile roll through campus. It’s a classic American icon that provides photo ops, Oscar Mayer merchandise and jobs.

Drivers of the Weinermobile are hired right out of college for one-year paid positions to drive around the country, promote Oscar Mayer products and do public relations and marketing work.

Kylie “Ketchup Kylie” Hodges and Dylan “Dyl-icious Dylan” Hackbarth are the “hotdoggers,” that visited Butler’s campus last week.

“It’s a paid road trip,” Hodges said. “And on our off day, we get to hang out with Blue.”

In order to promote Oscar Mayer, the “hotdoggers” have traveled to major events in their assigned region to meet consumers and the media.

“Everywhere we go we pitch to media,” Hackbarth said. “Kylie and I had a five minute interview on CNN, because it was the 75th birthday of the Weinermobile this year.”

While media pitching might seem like traditional work in public relations-type positions, Hackbarth and Hodges said they devote time to social media platforms as well.

Hackbarth said they use Twitter, Foursquare and blogging to update consumers about the duo’s latest adventures.

“For us, our social media is our way for consumers to catch up with us,” Hackbarth said.

Career opportunities such as with Oscar Mayer are becoming more readily available to students both at Butler and elsewhere.