# @vanderbiltu on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/By3A5gNB0IH
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/9038577-vanderbiltu-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/b4a7e35422.jpg
- **Posted:** 2019-06-18T17:32:02.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Vanderbilt University (@VanderbiltU) — https://gondola.cc/VanderbiltU

## Caption

Minnie Mangafus recently participated in the #FreeCyrusWilson campaign, working to free a man wrongfully convicted of first degree murder in 1994. #HumansofVanderbilt #VU2019

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Vanderbilt?
A: The people, especially in recent months with the Free Cyrus Wilson campaign that we did, have really inspired me in all sorts of ways. They’ve made me want to be a better person and try to push the limits of what I can learn and what I can do for others.

Q: What was that experience like?
A: It was amazing. It’s an ongoing campaign so it’s still amazing, but to see so many students, many who were engaging with activism for the first time, be so galvanized and so riled up to fight injustice moved me. But at the same time, you can’t forget that it’s a campaign about someone’s life that’s really strategized and spearheaded by the person himself, Cyrus Wilson, who’s currently incarcerated. We have to stay grounded and remember that we’re part of a team that is all his doing.

Q: What other experiences at Vanderbilt have been similarly impactful in your life?
A: I’ve been serving on the senate this year, and to see the robust debate that we employ in our meeting spaces is incredible. The senate has been able to pass a lot of great legislation, like renaming certain buildings. We also talk about how we might be able to help students be compensated if they want our help. I always joke that the real Congress should model us.

Q: You’re leaving Vanderbilt in a year - what things are you going to miss the most?
A: I think the constant presence of an intellectual atmosphere. What I love about being at VU is that everyone has an interesting take on something, everyone has a new take on something, and everyone’s just trying to learn from each other. So a lunch conversation can very quickly turn into a philosophical debate, or you can very quickly segue into talking about the meaning of our life and what we want to do for the future, both individually and in terms of a collective. That kind of discourse is hard to find outside of this space.

Minnie Mangafus
Class of 2019/2020
Neuroscience Major
📸: Social 'Dores @douglas.finn and @allybireley
#vandygram

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## Tags

humansofvanderbilt, vu2019, vandygram, freecyruswilson

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