This interactive experience was based on the story of Cindy Rosenthal. Prior to her time at Penn State, Cindy was involved with anti-war marches and had a family history of activism. Her family was very supportive and would often join her for protests.
She started at Penn State in the fall of 1966 and graduated in 1970. Within her first days on campus, she became involved with the small minority of students who were protesting the Vietnam War. She ultimately joined several organizations including the Students for a Democratic Society (S.D.S.). The S.D.S. opposed the university’s involvement in the war. Along with others, Cindy protested the university’s mandatory ROTC service requirement for male students and for allowing the military to recruit students on campus.
Even as she protested the War, Cindy felt other causes were not getting as much attention as the conflict in Vietnam. There were a number of occasions she felt the need to advocate for the equality of women and minorities on and off campus. She eventually became quite active in the Women's Liberation Front at Penn State and the Black Student Union. At one point, she joined a political sit-in at Old Main, the administrative building on campus. After graduating Penn State, Cindy decided to enter law school, so she could continue to fight for the poor, the weak, and the unheard.
She has spent her professional career as a public interest lawyer, furthering the interests of the entire public, in areas such as: illegal discrimination, environmental protection, child welfare, and domestic violence.
Today, Cindy is proud of her activism. But in light of recent events in our country, she finds it disheartening to have to be out in the streets again, fighting for almost the same issues 50 years later. She believes that people still need to fight for what they think is right.
