Spirit, Competition, and Camaraderie: YSM Students Gather for the Kalanithi House Cup

A rainy forecast could not dampen the spirits of 118 students and a dozen house advisors and affiliates as they gathered on Harkness Lawn to compete in the third annual Kalanithi House Cup.

During the May 9 event, students from the Yale School of Medicine (YSM) advisory houses—Creed, Yan, Horstmann, Palade, Slayman, and Hamburg—went head-to-head in pursuit of the coveted House Cup and a year of bragging rights.

Students competed in six events: activity relay, trivia, tug of war, dodgeball, cup pong, and Mario Kart.

Rain moved the tug of war and dodgeball competitions inside Harkness Ballroom, but students braved the outdoors for the activity relay (and got soaked in the process).

Students also had the chance to earn house points ahead of the House Cup by participating in the Haven 5K and the YSM Blood Drive.

Hanifah Ali, first-year MD student and Slayman House representative, reflected on the enormous effort that went into making the event a success. "Between designing the six events, distributing T-shirts, and ordering catering, tons of work went into making this event possible. It was all worth it though when we got to see how excited our fellow students were to compete and represent their houses."

When some houses found themselves short on players for certain events, students from other houses stepped in to help their peers compete.

"Fellow students did not let competition get in the way of camaraderie," noted Ali. "For some events where an advisory house did not have enough players, students from other houses volunteered to pitch in and help a team compete, truly highlighting the joyous spirit that the house cup represents."

Throughout the afternoon, snacks and drinks were available to keep competitors fueled.

The House Cup was named in memory of Paul Kalanithi, MD ’07, neurosurgeon and author of When Breath Becomes Air.

For first-year MD student and Yan House representative Kanhai Amin, participating in the event was deeply meaningful. “Reading When Breath Becomes Air in high school changed the way I thought about medicine and helped shape the kind of physician I hope to become. Helping honor Dr. Kalanithi's memory through this event felt especially meaningful."

The event concluded with dinner followed by the highly anticipated House Cup trophy ceremony. Palade House came in first place for the second year running, followed by Yan and Hamburg Houses (tied for second place), Slayman House (third place), Creed House (fourth place), and Horstmann House (fifth place).

“I am so thankful and honored that I got to be part of the team/play a role in organizing the event in memory of Dr. Kalanithi,” said Ali. “I can't wait to see how the next year's cohort will champion the event!”