Hello! My name is James Traficonte. I am a senior here at Union and I’m a History major. Some of my hobbies include soccer, basketball, and skiing. In terms of academics, I’ve always been interested in social and political disturbances/changes in history, which is why this course grabbed my attention. For instance, for my thesis I’m researching about the Staatliches Bauhaus, commonly known as the Bauhaus, which was a revolutionary German art school that started after World War I that combined fine arts through crafts from 1919 to 1933. This art school was immensely influential and introduced modernity to the general public by combining industry and art. I’ve taken Arts of China last year and developed an interest in the history of Chinese art. I’m really looking forward to this course and learn more about the visual culture of communist China and its influence on society.