College Cup 2017
October 27th and 28th was Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s College Cup! What’s College Cup? So glad you asked! College Cup is the best weekend of the year for Vandy Med students. All the students compete for their college to see which college reigns supreme. Read what our College Cup Event Captains had to say about this year's events!
In fourth place…Gabbe College!
“First, Gabbe is the best, so I am always honored to work for the glory of Gabbe. Second, my work running the opening ceremony allows me to channel my creative spirit. I aim to have a procession that is both fun for the participants, as well as impressive for the judges. It's not easy—we only get 2.5 hours to practice with the college, and even then, not everyone is there—so it requires a lot of teamwork and forethought into what is feasible. Still, a good opening gets people excited for the Gabbe victory about to come. “-Glenn Harris, Opening Ceremony Captain
“The Gabbe soccer team really came together for college cup. This team was so fun to play with and I would argue that we played the best soccer out of all of the college teams. We have very skilled players who played with heart and passion, and inspired all of Gabbe to compete harder. We improved with every game and even though we didn't get the end result that we wanted, it was a win in my book. Playing with this team was a great experience and I wouldn't change a thing!” -Shelby Payne, Soccer Captain
“This year, with just enough players, Gabbe College came in second place in Capture the Flag! As one of the first events of College Cup, it was great to see everyone cheering their own class and the other classes on. Gabbe has always been a great community to be a part of, and Capture the Flag showed the support that we have for one another.”-Kate Frost, Capture the Flag Captain
“Inner Tube Water Polo has been one of my favorite events during my two years of College Cup! I had never heard of the sport before last year’s College Cup, so I had to try it my first year. We always have a lot of fun and get really into it, because what isn't fun about splashing other people and trying to flip them off of their tubes?! “-Kate Frost, Inner Tube Water Polo Captain
“Spirit Showdown is the chance to show off your moves! Song choices are revealed during lunchtime the day of the opening ceremonies, so you have one afternoon to choreograph and rehearse a dance to perform in front of the whole school. It sounds nerve-wracking, but it's actually a ton of fun! “-Molly Eckman, Spirit Showdown Captain
“Basketball is one of my favorite events during college cup. This is because each college gathers in the gym to watch their college compete, making the atmosphere more intimate and intense. Games are only one quarter at first so each possession matters. Most of the games come down to the final seconds which makes it more enjoyable to watch and to participate in. “-Matt Wlekinski, Basketball Captain
“Gabbe's finest came out to run track at College Cup this year. Although the highlight of the day was our huge lead in the Men's 4×100, all of our athletes ran well. The final score may not have shaken out to what we were hoping for, but Gabbe was proud to have left everything they had out on the track, both figuratively and literally. “-Maxwell Roeske, Track Captain
In third place…Chapman College!
“For those of us who are less than athletic, there are lots of great options in College Cup to represent your college. Iron Chef, the competitive cooking competition, is a great option for people interested in food and up for late-night teamwork in the kitchen. The event is judged by faculty along with the owner of Miel, who provides an unknown ingredient each year that each team designs a three course meal around. It's a great way to expand your culinary horizons and meet students from the classes above and below you.” –Donald Wright, Iron Chef Captain
“It’s fun to run past students and take their stuff.” –Dan Hong, Capture the Flag Captain
“College Cup is such a great event because it brings our medical school together – as we're divided in competition. I really enjoyed playing with and getting to know the new first years in Chapman, and bringing all four years together into one great team! “-Mike Ahlers, Basketball Captain
“College Cup is one of the best times of the year here at VUSM! From the start of the festivities with the watermelon contest to the end with the awarding of the college cup, there is so much excitement that each student experiences. It also reminds you how incredibly talented all your classmates are outside of the academic realm. I can't wait for next year's College Cup!!!” –Ni Mummareddy, Volleyball Captain
“College Cup is one of my favorite weekends of the year. It is everything from an exciting rivalry to a fun, medical school family competition. Ultimate Frisbee has been my sport since the early days of college, and it was rewarding to lead a team of mostly bright-eyed first years through four fun matches on Saturday. The other colleges better watch out – the Dragons are going to bring the heat next year!”—Parker Evans, Ultimate Frisbee Captain
“Inner Tube Water Polo has to be the most fun even in College Cup. Our team kicked and floundered in the water for 10 straight minutes, coming out on top in our semifinal match followed by a narrow defeat in the final. The novelty, competitiveness, teamwork, and cheering crowd make this even my favorite every year.”—Mike Ahlers, Inner Tube Water Polo Captain
In second place…Robinson College!
“Iron chef requires a rigorous training regimen. Hours are spent perfecting every maneuver: the roast, the sear, the flip, the pour, the sizzle, the glaze…. but everything boils down to one presentation. The best part: savoring (the remainders of) our creative delicacies. Bon appetit!" –Kathleen Hiltz, Iron Chef Captain
“As a first year, this was my first college cup, and capture the flag was a great choice for my very first event. It was so much fun having all four colleges compete against each other at the same time and seeing everyone's competitive side come out (which may or may not have resulted in someone doing a front flip over someone else to score). Another reason that capture the flag is great is because there are allotted quarters for each class, so we had the entire school watching / competing in the same event. I am already excited for College Cup 2018! Go Ravens!”—Kyle Langford, Capture the Flag Captain
“Trivia is a great event at college cup in part because each team has one faculty member on it (shout out to Dr. Zimmerman!), which creates a fun dynamic that only exists in a few of the events. Furthermore, trivia took place during dinner so we got to sit back as an entire school and enjoy some good food and a great event after having been spread out for most of the day across various events.”—Kyle Langford, Trivia Captain
“Despite the falling of many of our brave Ravens to injury, our team rose from the ashes and fought hard til the final blow of the whistle. We gave them a fight they will not easily forget and are likely to still feel for the rest of the week. The other teams may have won this time. But, we will return and descend upon them, healthier and stronger than ever!”-Daniel Pereira and Peety Kaur, Soccer Captain
“Robinson once again dominated in the pool this year, winning the event outright with the help of our fantastic Ravens, our mentor Dr. Rush, and FAA Dr. Karpinos.”-Lauren Matevish, Swimming Captain
“The best offense is a good defense, but the best defense is Dr. Rush in goal.”-Benjin Facer, Water Polo Captain
“We had a new, bold strategy: Knock down as many pins as possible. Surprisingly, it worked!”-Benjin Facer, Bowling Captain
In first place…Batson College!
“Only during College Cup do you get to see an MS1 dig the volleyball to an ER Attending, who sets it to an MS4 for the kill!” -Colin White-Dzuro, Volleyball Captain
“The spirit and competitiveness of college cup basketball makes it the most exciting event of the weekend. Every college is well represented in numbers and in noise, and it creates an incredibly fun atmosphere for everyone involved!” -Colby Wollenman, Basketball Captain
“I captained Batson's Dance/Spirit Showdown with Kia Quinlan. College Cup is where we show off Batson's spirit, skills, and swag. Running mans, handstands, dabs, and breakdancing, we got it all. Batson is lit. #PhoenixRising” -Raymond Zhou, Dance/Spirit Showdown
“Ultimate frisbee was a great event! Most of our team had little to no experience playing prior to college cup, so we had a handful of practices to catch everyone up to speed on the basics. The actual tournament was a blast; we ended up winning in large part to how great our women played." -Chris Peek, Ultimate Frisbee Captain
“Batson swimmers stepped up big time this year, and I couldn't be more proud! Our biggest goal was to go out there and have a blast, and I think we did just that. Also, special shout out to our first-timers who absolutely blew me away with their talent, hard work, and speed—they made swimming look easy!”-Michelle York, Swimming Captain