The Norwich University Regimental Band and Drill Team will perform at president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday, January 20, in Washington, D.C.
The university, home to the oldest collegiate band in the country, has been invited to perform at seven other inaugurations, most recently President Barack Obama’s in 2013.
“The Norwich University Regimental Band and Drill Team is proud to represent the university and the State of Vermont,” assistant commandant and director of bands Todd P. Edwards said in a statement announcing the news.
According to the inaugural parade committee, more than 8,000 people will march in the event marking the 58th presidential inauguration, including high school and university marching bands, equestrian corps, first responders and veterans’ groups.
Trump has reportedly had a difficult time signing up bands to play at a “welcome celebration” to be held the night before the parade. According to an announcement from the inaugural committee, the band 3 Doors Down and country crooner Toby Keith will play the show.
The inaugural committee picked one band from each state to perform at the event, according to Daphne Larkin, the assistant communications director at Norwich University.
“I think it’s an honor to represent the state in this historic event,” Larkin told Seven Days.
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Norwich University most certainly does NOT represent the state of Vermont! The militarist Norwich University is an aberration and an outlier in the state of Vermont, representing few and symbolizing what many here find utterly abominable.
An honor? Seriously? It’s an embarrassment for the state. It’s not surprising though. Northfield and Norwich University are extreme right-wing entities that are pretty well known for supporting anyone that is a republican, regardless of that persons character or fitness for elected office. I live in Northfield and am constantly surprised by my neighbors willingness to ignore facts and any sort of moral compass in order to support an extreme right-wing agenda.
As a Norwich grad myself, I am very proud of my school and happy that they get this opportunity! I don’t know where all the hate for Norwich is coming from… It’s an amazing school with amazing people that prepared me for the REAL world and not your bubble wrapped fantasy land so many seem to live in. Say what you will, but unless you went there and know what it’s really like, you may want to keep your negative comments to yourself because really you just come off as ignorant and arrogant.
I am happy to hear that the Norwich cadets will be representing Vermont in the Inauguration ceremonies in Washington on Friday. It is an honor to be invited to participate in the peaceful transition of power that has made the United States unique in the nations of the world. Norwich can be justly proud of its history of providing America with leaders in all fields and especially in the United States Military.
I’m sure that there are more than a few names of Norwich Alumni on the Vietnam Wall in Washington as well as on every list of men and women who have sacrificed so that Americans can live in peace and freedom at home.
Congratulations on the invite and march proud.
Well, I don’t think it’s a honor to “celebrate” a clown taking office in the White House, but I can understand why an organization aligned with our military would chose not to make a political statement of such proportions by refusing the invitation. Not that Norwich would, but I don’t take this as an endorsement as much as it is a part of the identity of the school.
But everything about this inauguration is sad, sorry, and ludicrous, when viewed in the light of reality. Mr. Trump is not qualified for this. He is not an credible voice for our country. He is a charlatan in business and now in politics. That’s not my opinion — anyone who has been aware of him for the past three decades is well aware of who and what he is.
If we have no options short of armed resistance or military coup to prevent him from taking this office [him and the cadre of hyper-Right-Wing operatives who come with this package] — and those extreme remedies are certainly OUT, being ways to destroy the very thing we’d like to preserve: Our Democracy! — then we must deal with this transition as it takes place, resist the man in office, vote the blighters out at the first opportunity, and … soldier on. [Sorry for a pun at such a sad time.]
Slowly, but surely we creep along the road toward fascism.
Proud of Vermont and Norwich! Good job, men!
don’t they kind of have to? even though the man in the white house is a prepubescent teen aged boy with an immature temperament…..not thrilled but don’t believe that had a choice….sure a lot of them are less than thrilled
you may want to keep your negative comments to yourself because really you just come off as ignorant and arrogant….seriously dude- look in the mirror Kevin Thibault…people have the right to be offended- the man has made a mockery of the election and soon to be the office- which he supposedly won- WITH THE HELP OF RUSSIA.. As for the real world, I am glad they did that for you, albeit a bit slanted .
Sean Moran not one vote was cast in the election by the Russian hackers. All the intelligence agencies agree with that. And if the bought off main stream media did their job and investigated Clinton with as much vigger as they did Trump and his comments about everything under the sun, the Russians would not have beat them to the punch. Norwich is a great university that produces some of the finest America has to offer. My thanks goes out to the cadets that will be going to DC and representing Vermont in a positive way.
Sean Moran, don’t you think you’re big cup of tea..are you even a real Vermonter?? Cause you sound like a flatlander.. How in the world do you know what the cadets think..You called Kevin Thibault, ignorant and arrogant…think you are the one to look in the mirror, these young guys who go to Norwich, work hard, study hard.. Were you even in any kind of service?? Norwich does represent Vermont we Vermonters TRUE VERMONTERS are proud of Norwich..
It must be so sad to be a liberal, do you have your safety pins and diapers.?? Are you thinking the Russians are in your attic??? You liberals make me sick..grow up..Trump won, Clinton lost, Sanders took a buy out..
Kevin Thibault.. I’ve probably seen you marching in the Labor Day Parade ..As for the rest of you Norwich haters, you couldn’t hold a candle to the Norwich Cadets..