Be a Mammoth is an open-house program that gives admitted students the opportunity to sample life at Amherst through the firsthand experiences of attending classes, meeting faculty, talking with enrolled students and touring the campus. The following photos are from this year’s Be a Mammoth events on Tuesday, April 11.
(top row, left to right) Dean of Admission Cate Zolkos, President Michael A. Elliott and Dean of Admission and Financial Aid Matt McGann (bottom left), kicked off the program events on Tuesday, April 11 by welcoming more than 300 admitted students and their families to Amherst College in Johnson Chapel.
Current Amherst students joined admitted students in Kirby Theater for an open conversation about student life at the “This Is Amherst” panel, moderated by Admission Counselor Rachel Chaffin ’20.
(top row, left to right) Sterling Kee ’23 , Cindy Rosario ’24 , Rebecca Rock ’25 and Declan Sung ’24E (bottom row, holding the mic) answered questions from admitted students on topics ranging from academics to social life to campus resources.
While admitted students attended the “This Is Amherst” panel, families stayed in Johnson Chapel for the “Next Steps” panel. Moderated by Michael Hawkins, associate dean of admission (at podium), this session discussed the next steps after accepting admission to Amherst, as well as the on-campus resources available to Amherst students.
(top row, left to right) Kiara Vigil, associate professor of American studies; Amanda Vann, director of health education; Billy McBride, associate athletic director; (bottom row, left to right) George Blalock, community development coordinator; and Angie Tissi-Gassoway, dean of students and chief student affairs officer, answered questions from attendees of the “Next Steps” panel.
Program participants had the opportunity to join campus tours throughout the day and learn more about Amherst through the lens of tour guides and current students.
Charlotte Domittner ’25 led a tour group past the campus statue of Robert Frost.
Campus tours also included a stop at the Beneski Museum of Natural History.
During this tour stop, visitors heard some of the history of the Beneski Museum from student educators (docents) and viewed artifacts from the museum’s collection.
Tour guide Tomas Ye ’25 led a group through the Science Center, which provides state-of-the-art facilities and flexible spaces to support the sciences at Amherst.
Tour groups stopped to admire the view at the top of Memorial Hill.
Faculty and current students came together for the “Open Curriculum Overview” panel to discuss the benefits and strengths of Amherst’s open curriculum.
(top row, left to right) The “Open Curriculum Overview” panel included Assistant Professor of English Frank Leon Roberts, and Assistant Professor of Mathematics Ryan Alvarado, as well as current students (bottom row, left to right) Bella Wischik ’23, Jalen Woodard ’23, and Inés Rossi ’25 (seated by Professor Roberts).
Attendees of the “Open Curriculum Overview” panel conversed with panelists afterward.
Amherst student groups shared their talents at “A Mammoth Performance Showcase” for Be a Mammoth guests.
A student jazz combo, part of Jazz@Amherst, wowed the crowd with soulful renditions, including a cover of “Georgia On My Mind.”
K:NETICS K-Pop Dance Club performed dance covers of popular Korean pop songs such as Blackpink’s “Whistle.”
Members of Intersections Dance Company performed solos and duets in various styles, including musical theater and contemporary.
