By Claire Regan
The alma mater took on new significance as the Wagner College Choir performed it overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy last month during a tour commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the bloody conflict that claimed the lives of 4,400 soldiers and became a turning point during World War II.
“Beautiful upon a hill, looking out to the sea” resounded from a half-dozen other sites in France as well during the eight-day itinerary, which was inspired by an Intermediate Learning Community (ILC) course taught by Dr. Lori Weintrob, History Department professor and director of the Wagner College Holocaust Center, and Dr. Thomas Juneau, director of choral activities and vocal studies.
“The alma mater memorializes all those in the Wagner College community who have sacrificed on behalf of their homeland, friends and loved ones,” Juneau explained. “The students always take pride in singing the alma mater, and this moment was very powerful as they felt that connection to sacrifices made throughout history that helped provide the world they enjoy living in.”
Wagner senior Frank Betancourt composed the anthem in 1941 for a campus revue. It became so popular among students that it was designated the college’s alma mater in 1949.
Other pieces performed by the choir at cathedrals and sites in the French cities of Caen, Chartres, Falaise and Paris were selected for their historic and cultural significance and rehearsed over the last year in preparation for the trip.
Omaha Beach, the epicenter of the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of German-occupied France, was the first stop of the Wagner tour on May 21. Gray skies and a brisk wind mirrored the weather of that fateful day eight decades ago as the choir performed following a wreath-laying ceremony.
“An atmosphere so similar made it all too easy to picture the events that occurred on that very sand where soldiers our age fought unwaveringly for liberty and justice,” reflected Olivia West ’26.
“When we arrived at the beach, it was silent and cold,” said Jessica Dantoni ’26. “The only sound was the waves crashing on the shore as the tide was low, reminding us of the D-Day landing.”
“As I gazed out to the horizon, I could almost see the immense fleet of ships, soldiers, sailors and airmen all united for one mission,” said Shane Gallagher ’27. Among them was his great uncle, Frank Petillo, who survived the conflict after being trapped for 24 hours under a capsized landing craft.
Watching the students experience history in a personal way was especially rewarding as a professor, Weintrob said. “They felt connected to the past and to the sacrifices of the soldiers.”
Jade Schoenfeld ’25, one of 40 choir members, appreciated the experience of performing in three majestic French cathedrals.
“We had a very challenging repertoire for all three concerts, and we came together so beautifully as a group,” she said. “Our sound resonated through each cathedral, making its way down to people outside on the streets.”
While in France, the Wagner group also paid tribute to the 77,000 Jews deported from French territories, among them 11,000 children. They visited the Shoah Holocaust Museum, the Museum of Jewish Art and History, and Le Marais, the Jewish Quarter in Paris.
Thirteen students who participated in the tour as part of the Expanding Your Horizons program prepared for it by reading about Sgt. William A. Morris Jr., a Black D-Day soldier who was a Wagner alumnus. His daughter, Dolores Morris, joined the students for the trip.
The tour group also included adjunct professors Matthew Zabiegala, conductor, and Giovanni Longo, accompanist, and a group of parents, alumni and community members with close ties to D-Day veterans. Voice faculty member Julia Lamon assisted with student management and voice faculty member Hilary Baboukis served as translator and concert manager.
Choir leaders included Ainsley Armstrong '24, past president; Victoria Dimino '25, president and alto section leader; Jade Schoenfeld '25, vice president; Molly Nemirow '25, secretary; Willow Fallon '25, soprano section leader, and Jaylen Gray '24, tenor/bass section leader.
Student soloists were Sarah Sweeney '24, Jade Schoenfeld '25, Caleb Ullian '27, Grant Anderson '24, Tahlia Colon '27, Isabel Shikhman '26 and Victoria Dimino '25.
The group enjoyed lighter moments that included walks along the Seine River, a river cruise, a guided sightseeing tour of Paris and visits to the Musee d’Orsay and the Eiffel Tower.
“The experience taught me that the power of history isn’t just knowing the facts,” summarized Jaylen Gray ’24. “It’s remembering the people and what they represented in history.”
