The Spirit of the Hudson

It's hard to imagine that the semester is actually coming to a close, and that our study of the Hudson will end in a few days. Along the way we've assumed a number of different roles, holding class discussions as environmentalists, politicians, economists and historians. We've evaluated the environmental state of the Hudson arguing over the proposed effectiveness of dredging plans. We've debated the economic and cultural benefits of new industrial projects in coastal Hudson River cities, and struggled again and again with the question of whether or not direct economic benefit is more important than environmental stability and the preservation of the famous Hudson scenery. In order to better appreciate and understand the current state of the River, we read novels about the Hudson's past outlining the accomplishments of men like Adriaen van der Donck and Peter Stuyvesant, and debated whether or not their actions shaped the region for the better. We studied the spectacular artwork of Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School, gaining a sense of the profound impact the natural beauty of the river had on American society. When the Sophomore Seminar program was instituted at Hamilton, its goal was to provide student's with a chance to explore topics they might not normally study through an interdisciplinary approach, and quite frankly I couldn't imagine learning about the Hudson River in any other way.
The Hudson is a unique body of water. Though other natural phenomena have inspired more awe, few can claim to have had such a powerful economic and cultural impact on the surrounding region. All semester long I've fought with the question of whether or not the Hudson River was special, so to speak. What was it about the scenery that inspired such remarkable artwork? What was it about the river itself that gave hope to settlers in New Amsterdam? Why, when the economic benefits of proposals like the SLC were so promising, would a group of citizens in one of the poorest cities in New York fight to protect the beauty of the Hudson? And I think the answer to all of these questions is that there is in fact something special about the Hudson River. Maybe it exists in it's storied past, or maybe in the hope of a prosperous future, but whatever the reason, I think it's safe to say that the spirit of the river has touched us all in some way as we came to understand that the impact of a place can be felt by those who live close by, and those who live miles away.