If I remember, you were left at the museum’s entrance,
Follow me, and you’ll be hit with a mysterious fragrance,
The smell of history and bones: the meaning better to convey
Look at our mascot, the big, Columbian mammoth on display!
The skeleton was brought to Amherst by professor Loomis,
However, the mammoth had little hair: I find that humorous,
The Colombian specimen with red hairs was found in a swamp
Professor Loomis and the students brought it here in a lump.
It was assembled in Webster Hall, for the students to admire,
And even today in Beneski, it makes quite many aspire
For research opportunities and work with faculty,
Whether in English, Physics, French or Psychology.
To list a few programs, I will start with SURF,
Allowing many students to explore the home turf
On campus they work for eight to ten weeks,
Some continue after, to reach more new peaks.
Or, take for example the Seminars called “Mellow”,
Just kidding, “Mellon”, and they’re not for any fellow!
Students do research, travel across the globe,
As many can get funding from the CCE or the Loeb.
These centers offer Amherst students the opportunity,
To dive into jobs and research, and fulfill their destiny,
In the US and abroad, the center for community engagement
Will partner with Loeb career center for student betterment.
Excuse my big words, maybe they sound too grand,
On another note, at Amherst science is in big demand!
That’s why we are building a new science center,
To open in the Fall 2018, before the first year enter.
As we go up the hill, to the left it’s hard not to observe,
A large yellow building, Keefe, so we’ll have to swerve,
Take note of the cherry orchard and the new fire pit,
Please stay clear of the door, or else you’ll be hit.
Keefe has served as the Student center for more than a while.
As you pass through every day, you greet friends with a smile,
There are a movie theatre, a game room, and Grab and Go,
A fresh lunch with five items, if your energy is running low.
We also have resource centers, exactly four in number,
You walk inside any of them, like-minded people to encounter,
They do much student programing, make sure you are well,
They are nice places, and quite popular, it is not hard to tell.
I was a part of the Women and Gender’s Center book club,
It’s a space with smooth couches and a conversation hub.
In April we met for a dinner, we brought along our notes,
Faculty, students and staff joined; we ate and shared quotes.
Located on the ground level, you find the service of mail,
Long gone are days when you’d receive you letters in a pail
Students keep the same mailbox, it won’t be hard to remember,
Your AC number, you’ll have it memorized by your first December.
As we’re about to leave the building, one Office I should mention,
The Study Abroad office is on your left, and it deserves attention,
Forty-five percent of juniors go abroad, one semester or the other
Some go for a whole year a new place and culture to discover.
We have more than a hundred and fifty programs anyone can explore,
Both financial aid and credits transfer over, two things you will adore
Amherst has two of its own programs: one with Doshisha University,
Which is in Kyoto, Japan, and another program in Gottingen, Germany.
Now that we’ve left Keefe, I will tell you about the student life,
Tune in, you don’t want to miss that part, to avoid any strife.
We have about a hundred and fifty organizations active online
And in real life, but if you start your own club, it works just fine.
You find friends, fill in an online form, likely funding will activate
Just go to student government, and in their meetings participate
From political unions to archery club, any dream may come true
Students can join outside clubs in the Consortium, if they want to.
As we approach the freshman squad, please look to the right,
Worth noting, Chapin and Barrett Hall are within your sight,
Chapin houses the Religion Department, as well as other spaces,
And in Barrett, students learn Modern Languages at different paces.
We’ll go again to the left, and take this beautiful stairwell,
I can already see Amherst has caught you in its spell,
As we enter this courtyard, be prepared for more names,
As here we have the Mead Art Museum, Stearns and James.
No rush, gather around, let’s start with Stearns Steeple first,
Back sixty years ago, it was a part of a church here in Amherst,
Later, the church came down, only the steeple remained intact
Next to it you find Mead, the second museum on campus, in fact.
It has nineteen thousand pieces of art, all gathered together,
Admiring every piece separately would probably take forever
About ten percent of works are displayed, so you’ll have to ask
A curator to bring a piece from storage, and they’ll do the task.
The Mead can hire any student to work as a tour guide,
It’s a similar job to this one, and comes with a nice aside,
While you walk different groups from one to another gallery,
You enchant them with stories, learning more about art history.
As of the dorms, Stearns and James, they are one sweet pair!
Spacious with large elevators, they bring in an exquisite flair,
If anything else worth noting, we are almost in Charles Pratt,
Yet another nice dorm, make sure you don’t turn into a brat.
As we slowly file in the door, it’s good to know that the school
Opened the building about a century ago, alongside with a pool
In its many decades, Charles Pratt saw more than one change
Along which a gym, a museum, a dorm; nothing is too strange!
Pratt now serves as a freshman hall, so dear guests, don’t fret,
It meets your needs through common rooms and a kitchenette,
If for some reason you need a different cooking accomodation,
Find an upperclassmen kitchen, and throw a freshman invasion.
Dorms at Amherst are co-ed, with other options upon request,
If you know that for you, the single gender option is the best,
Please don’t hesitate, mention it in your housing questionnaire
And describe your daily habits, if you’ve got some time to spare.
Now we’ll move into the showroom, and please do not worry,
No one lives there, we decorated it for the sake of the story,
I’ll usher you swiftly inside the room, don’t appear surprised,
This is the average double size, and not just a lie disguised!
As we exit past the Writing center,I declare I don’t want to avoid,
The above named resource, helpful fighting an academic void.
It is staffed by professional writers, helping students to succeed,
Similarly, the Moss Quantitative Center is to be used when in need.
Next to Webster Hall, housing the Department of Theater and Dance,
One may find a beautiful view: Memorial Hill isn’t here by chance.
The mountains are so pretty, the Notch view is worth the hike,
And outside the athletic fields you’ll find the dream path for a bike.
We are a Division III school: about a third of students play varsity
But twice as many students do sports, in choices there’s no scarcity,
You will find three levels: varsity, club, intramural, which is quite nice
Because you pick whatever suits you, and won’t even think twice.
All facilities are open to any student, but they shall use their ID,
Just swipe in at the main entrance, and use the gym carefree,
We passed by a few fields, and if you’re wondering about lacrosse
And softball turfs, or the stadium - just one street you shall cross.
This marks the end of the tour, we’re back at the Office of Admission,
I hope you liked my tour, tell me if you noticed a mistake or omission.
I’m also available for more questions, if you want to ask them alone,
For the rest of the group I wish you good luck, and a safe trip back home!
Your Summer Intern,
Lidia
