Senior Arielle Baker is the women’s intramural director at Hillsdale College and also sings the National Anthem for sports games.
What do you do with intramural sports?
I am the women’s intramural director. I started doing that second semester of sophomore year. (Senior) Brett Dailey is the men’s director. We are co-student directors. This year there are two faculty directors, so we work with them. We plan what sports we want to have in a year and the faculty now sets up the schedule. So I oversee the games and make sure everything runs smoothly.
How did you get started singing the National Anthem?
My roommate, (junior) Genna Hilgenbrink, worked with Brad (Monastiere). She does a lot of sports journalism for the college – she does a lot of video stuff for the teams. I asked her one day how (senior) Bisty (Brady) used to sing and she said that her boss was in charge of that so she mentioned to him that I sang and he just Facebooked me and asked me to come down to the football field and he liked me.
Do you ever get nervous?
The first football game I ever did was just terrifying. I have done a lot of signing in my past. I actually have three CDs I recorded in Nashville. The concerts we always used to have were in churches, so it’s just a very different environment than all of your friends. But, it’s a good nervousness.
What was your favorite time singing the National Anthem?
Probably the parents’ weekend football game because there were just so many people.
What are your musical ambitions?
I love country music. I tried out for “The Voice” once and I’m hoping to do it again either in January or next summer. I definitely want to keep singing. I’m getting married this summer, so my ultimate goal is to be a mom and have a family. If it worked out, I’d love to sing on the side while I’m young. I don’t know about being a huge star, though, that might be a little scary.
How else are you involved with sports?
I do graphic design for the sports team. This year I focused on football. I made posters, schedule cards, and program covers. I will do most of the basketball ones coming up. So that’s really fun because graphic design is my minor. I got the singing job first with Brad Monastiere and he was working on one of the covers one day and I asked him if he made all those. I said I’m a minor in graphic design and started helping him.
What do you think it takes to be a good Charger fan?
Well you have to go to the games first of all. I know we have a little bit of a problem with that. I actually did adopt a Charger my sophomore year and that was really fun because I got to know (senior) Anthony Manno. It was so fun to get to know them and make them cookies and cakes. It was good to get to know them personally because sometimes you think that the sports teams have their own separate groups but they are awesome and they are really cool once you get to know them. So, go to games, have fun, and cheer and be crazy.
What is your favorite sport?
Volleyball. I played volleyball and basketball in high school and volleyball was definitely my sport. I really enjoy watching volleyball or basketball and football. That comes from my experience on a volleyball team in high school. I just love the team aspect of it. Maybe it was because I was pretty good at it. It is just different than the other sports.
Do you have any future ambitions in athletics?
I really hope to do something in design. I am a marketing major but I really want to focus on the graphic design aspect. My dream job would be sports graphic design.
