Blackburn Institute

Aldrich D. Callins ‘05 Reflects on Experiences in Japan

December 14, 2006

Aldrich D. Callins ‘05 is currently studying in Japan.

As a member of the Blackburn Institute, I have been given many opportunities to learn about issues that affect the state of Alabama with the aim of forming actions that will improve the quality of life for our state and nation. Interestingly enough, while I study abroad in Japan I have connected with local and foreign individuals who share this same ideal for their respective nations. One thing that the Blackburn Institute has taught me is that we should always seek out opportunities to build creative partnerships with others who share similar goals. Fortunately, these partnerships do not have to be contained within our state or even our country. By expanding these networks, I have learned to form bridges between two outwardly unrelated topics and discovered that we all go through the same struggles in our communities, albeit often at different times. It takes this sharing and understanding of cultures, ideas, perspectives, solutions, and underlying values to ultimately create an ideal society not only in our own backyard, but also in those of our neighbors on the other side of the fence.

In Japan this sharing has not once taken place in any formal meeting where we sit down to discuss “issues”. In fact, many times this exchange of ideas has come about on a bus ride to campus, a conversation at dinner, or at a toss of a frisbee.

Most of the pictures below are from an Intercultural Exchange at which I volunteered to speak. This was a time where Japanese high school and college students came together to learn about and share other cultures. It was loads of fun!

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