THE HOSTOS BRIDGE

Whenever I seek a few moments of “quiet” time at Hostos, I take a seat on the bridge that connects the “A” and “C” Buildings. Amid the flurry of activity, as students, faculty, and staff quickly pass by, my eyes soon delight in the great expanse of traffic swelling the Grand Concourse. Despite the “noise” all around me, these silent rhythms lull me into a reflective state.

The bridge is my favorite man-made invention. It connects people, places, and ideas. It creates a transition – from one subject to another, from one mode of thinking to another, from one way of life to another. Like these words, it provides a link between me and you.

Without a bridge, there is often a gap, a chasm from whose depths it is sometimes far too difficult to emerge. Unprotected from the elements, in such a state of despair, an individual remains as much a victim of the darkness as of the blinding light.

Seeing through the right filter in order to negotiate the steep climb to the top consequently requires not only guidance but also courage, patience, and the kind of humility that is wedded to the willingness to learn. For how else but through EDUCATION can we find a way to LEAD ourselves OUT OF the abyss and transform our identity as a result?

Fortunately, for our students, Hostos itself is a “bridge,” an illumined haven that kindles the spirit and nurtures the imagination. Within its portals, students can embark upon the pursuit of their dreams and translate the dark prose of an ever-elusive present into the poetic vistas of a more glorious tomorrow.

Robert F. Cohen
Language and Cognition