Peter Salovey President | Yale University
Peter Salovey President | Yale University
The inaugural Yale School of Medicine (YSM) College Cup, a unique competition featuring activities such as Mario Kart, Cornhole, Trivia, Tug-of-War, Smash Brothers, and Dodgeball, took place on May 4, 2024. The event was held at Café Med, Harkness Ballroom, and the Harkness Lawn. The coveted prize for the winning team was the Kalanithi Cup—a specially-engraved Mory’s cup—held for a year until the next competition in 2025.
Six student college representatives from YSM—August Allocco, Frankie Carr, Ashwin Chetty, Anita Jegarl, Allison Law, and Carlisle Topping—organized the College Cup. They decided to name the trophy after YSM alumnus Paul Kalanithi, MA, MPhil, MD ’07. Kalanithi passed away in 2015 at age 37 but left a significant impact on many students through his memoir "When Breath Becomes Air," which details his journey with terminal illness.
The event saw spirited participation from MD, MD-PhD, and PA students across different years of study. They sported specially made t-shirts in colors corresponding to their respective colleges: Red, Orange, Gold, Green, Blue and Purple. College heads also attended to cheer their teams on.
Jessica Illuzzi, MD MS deputy dean for education and Harold W. Jockers Professor of Medical Education expressed her delight at seeing the school's vision realized: creating a community where students from different degree programs could come together within and across colleges. She also shared memories of Kalanithi during his time as a student at YSM.
Lucy Kalanithi joined the event along with her daughter Cady and other family members. She shared stories about Paul that showcased his sense of humor and joyfulness alongside his serious pursuits.
The competition concluded with Green College claiming the first Kalanithi Cup. Student representatives from Orange and Red colleges, Topping and Chetty respectively, reflected positively on the event. They saw it as a memorable start to a tradition that honored Dr. Kalanithi and fostered community-building within the burgeoning college system.
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