UTSA Spirit of San Antonio marching band chosen to represent U.S. in France

UTSA Spirit of San Antonio marching band

By Kris Rodriguez
Public Affairs Specialist

(May 22, 2014) -- The University of Texas at San Antonio Spirit of San Antonio (SOSA) marching band has been selected as the official university band to represent the United States and perform at the 70th anniversary World War II D-Day Memorial Parade and Musical Salute to the Veterans in Normandy, France, June 6.

The commemorative event marks the anniversary of D-Day, a day forever known for the Allied invasion of Germany-occupied France and the beginning of the liberation of Europe from Nazi Germany.

At the height of World War II, the village of Sainte-Mere-Eglise was recaptured by American airborne and land troops, making it the first Normandy village to be liberated from Nazi tyranny. Seventy D-Day survivors are expected to return to the French town to attend the historic remembrance.

UTSA SOSA Marching Band Director Ron Ellis will lead the San Antonio contingent of 44 band members and 15 parents traveling overseas for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Ellis says the band members raised the trip funding over the last six months, and the parents are covering their own expenses. The trip also has extra significance for Ellis and the band members because several had relatives at Normandy during the war.

"This is a huge honor that says a lot about UTSA and the perception of not only what the university is now, but what it is becoming," said Ellis. "It's a tribute to the great leadership of the city, the university and to our top-tier reputation that we were called to participate to represent the U.S.A. at such an historic event."

According to Ellis, the marching band will perform before French national leaders, visiting military leaders, high-ranking officials and French President Francois Hollande. President Barack Obama also is expected to attend.

The SOSA ceremonial group begins rehearsals next week on musical selections for the ceremonies and parades including the U.S. and French National anthems, "The Longest Day March," "Amazing Grace" and music for several feature performances that will include "Texas, Our Texas," "Appalachian Spring" and "Strike Up the Band," among others. The UTSA marching band also has been asked to be prepared to perform "Hail to the Chief."

In addition to the musical performances, SOSA marching band members will have the opportunity to visit several other landmarks over the week in France including Omaha Beach, the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum.

------------------------------

Connect online with UTSA on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.

Events

Wednesday, April 24, 11:30 a.m.

Denim Day

Join the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.

Student Union Window Lounge, Main Campus

Wednesday, April 24, 5:00 p.m.

Simplifying Citations With Zotero

Learn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.

Virtual Event

Friday, May 3, 11:30 a.m.

McNair Scholars' Spring Celebration

This event will acknowledge graduating seniors from the McNair Scholars program at UTSA before inducting the new cohort of scholars into the program.

North Paseo Building (NPB 5.140), Main Campus

Wednesday, May 15, 6:00 p.m.

Doctoral Conferral Ceremony

At this memorable celebration, UTSA graduates will be introduced one-by-one to cross the stage and accept their doctoral degrees.

Arts Building Recital Hall, Main Campus

Thursday, May 16, 3:00 p.m.

Roadrunner Walk

Roadrunner Walk is an event for graduating students to have a memorable walk on campus to celebrate an important milestone and their achievements. Graduates will walk along the Paseo while being celebrated by the UTSA community, friends, and family members.

Student Union Paseo, Main Campus

Friday, May 17, 10:00 a.m.

Commencement: Ceremony One

Celebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.

Alamodome, 100 Montana St.

Friday, May 17, 4:30 p.m.

Commencement: Ceremony Two

Celebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.

Alamodome, 100 Montana St.

Submit an Event

Spotlight

UTSA’s Mission

The University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.

UTSA’s Vision

To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.

UTSA’s Core Values

We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.

UTSA’S Destinations

UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .

Our Commitment to Inclusivity

The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.