Our generation is often wrongly stereotyped as the ‘does nothing’ generation of ‘lazy’ and ‘entitled’ individuals. Activism isn’t something that just took place in the 1960s, it happens across the country every day in different capacities.

There are various subject matters that individuals choose to participate in within the realm of feminism itself: abortion rights, harassment, domestic violence and sexual freedom, to name a few. Activism usually stems from a personal drive to change the status quo and can be achieved using standard social change tactics, as well as creative and innovative methods.

There are various ways in which activism can take place, specifically within the women’s rights movement. Susan B. Anthony and Alice Paul did not have the advantages of technology that young feminists do today, which makes these issues seem easier to tackle. Technology was the reason behind Nona Willis Aronowitz’s ‘Girldrive’ project that ended up as a published book this past October.

Aronowitz and her partner in crime, Emma Bee Bernstein, started a blog called ‘Girldrive’ a couple of years ago, where they would document the awesome women activists they came across during a road trip across America. The two friends didn’t realize at the time, but they were being activists themselves by raising awareness and spreading the word.

Social change is one of the key components of feminism and is reinforced through ‘Girldrive: Criss-Crossing America, Redefining Feminism.’ The authors made a point to interview and photograph young women who both identified with feminism and did not want to label themselves as feminists.

Elle Magazine featured an interview with Aronowitz on their Web site and urges young women who cannot experience their very own eye-opening road trip to take a glance at the book. ‘Girldrive’ provides a wide-angle snapshot of contemporary feminism, and raises provocative questions about our responsibilities to the movement.

The closest Aronowitz and Bernstein made it to Syracuse was New York City, where they interviewed a total of 28 females. They mainly traveled between major cities and didn’t touch on any rural areas due to funding and time constraints.

It is very easy to relate to this book as a college student. Young minds of today are budding with ideas and thoughts, and it is sometimes difficult to find the ideal outlet or the perfect solution. Our contemplation of concepts is only half the battle; it is discovering the correct form of activism and following through that provides the greatest sense of accomplishment.

Aronowitz was left to finish ‘Girldrive’ by herself after the death of her writing partner last December. She not only pulled together a sensational compilation of activist stories and advice, but she also documented her own stories and journey for readers to acknowledge.

‘Girldrive’ really digs in to all of the same old feminist issues with a fresher outlook. The book features interviews with spunky Kathleen Hanna of the original Riot Grrrls, Jennifer Baumgardner who wrote ‘Manifest A: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future’ and Katha Pollitt, columnist for The Nation. Feminism has been known to have different definitions, and Aronowitz does a fantastic job of giving younger women a reason to associate with this new wave of feminist activism.

The most important message to gather from ‘Girldrive,’ other than the activism, is the fact that feminism can take many different shapes and forms without actually having to use the label. Aronowitz wrote in the book’s introduction, ‘It’s about how young women grapple with the concepts of freedom, equality, joy, ambition, sex and love – whether they call it ‘feminism’ or not.’

Krystie Yandoli is a sophomore women’s studies major. Her columns appear weekly. She can be reached at klyandol@syr.edu.