Name: George (Jiayi) Baolin
Year: Sophomore
Major: Double Major in Economics and Music Performance
Minor: Global Trade
Hometown: Beijing, China
Relationship Status: Single
Ever wondered who plays the bells in Wait Chapel? Well, he’s this week’s Campus Cutie! Meet George Baolin!
Her Campus (HC): So, tell me what kinds of things you are involved in on campus?
George Baolin (GB): I’m on the equestrian club; I’m actually the only boy (laughs) in the equestrian club. Then, I’m in the badminton club and also involved in this organization called “The Media,” which is a student-run organization under the Provost’s Office. We are trying to shoot lectures and create other digital content that represents Wake.
HC: Awesome! I know you are also super interested in opera; could you talk a little about that?
GB: Yes! That’s actually the biggest thing I’m involved with right now. My interest kind of started in middle school, but now it has become one of my biggest passions. I’m trying to sing Italian opera right now. Last summer the music office actually helped introduce me to a very famous tenor from Milan named Vittorio Terronova – I’ve studied a lot of his music and performance. Right now I’m also in a chamber music group as a singer, and I have been working with the pianist specifically on Italian opera.
HC: You said your interested started in middle school. What really prompted that?
GB: Around middle school, I started studying traditional Chinese singing, and I loved it. Then, when I got to Wake and auditioned for a professor here, she said, “Oh, you have an opera voice! Why don’t you try opera?” And once I tried that, I loved it. I am actually going to be working with the orchestra over the next few weeks for a performance on February 25th!
HC: That’s great! What’s one thing you miss most from home?
GB: Definitely Chinese food. In China, we have so many different kinds of Chinese food, but here, Chinese food is kind of unified. My absolute favorite food is Mongolian barbecue.
HC: Do you have any spring break plans?
GB: I’m going to Italy with my concert partners! We are going to Milan, Venice, Rome, and a small town called Anizio.
HC: What class are you enjoying the most so far this semester?
GB: Probably my class on mass culture in China. It’s a very new class for me, and I chose it because I want to see how Americans see the Chinese – I want to study China from the American perspective.
HC: How would you describe your perfect girl?
GB: I would say someone who is passionate about her life and definitely an opera music fan – someone generous, kind, and open-minded.
HC: What’s been your favorite memory at Wake so far?
GB: Every Monday, I play the carillon for Wait Chapel, so that is definitely one of my favorite things. Being up there and knowing that everyone on campus can hear the bells creates a lot of pressure, but it’s still one of my favorite moments.