On April 16th, five students from UW-Eau Claire participated in the 13th Annual Wisconsin Chinese Language Speech Contest hosted in UW-Milwaukee. Ryan Bleau, Kawaree Chaiprasitkul, Katelyn Kannel, Anastasia Rauland, Jacob Siekmeier and Alex Zitzner competed with other college students in the UW system and brought back multiple honors in various categories: 1 first place, 2 second place and 1 third place. Besides the speech contest, these students also had a chance to watch multiple Chinese performances such as lion dance and Chinese Kung Fu. They appreciated this opportunity to experience the Chinese culture and be inspired by other Chinese learners.

Chinese Speech Contest Awards
UWEC Students at Chinese Speech Contest Bring Home Awards
This was the second time for students in the UWEC Chinese program to compete in this statewide competition, and they shined at the contest again. Student interest in learning Chinese language is increasing on campus and Chinese learners showcase their language proficiency by engaging in a variety of events, including speech contest, international poetry reading night, teaching Chinese class to local schools, taking international Chinese proficiency test and applying for scholarship to study in China. Dr. Kaishan Kong commended her students for their enthusiasm, dedication and diligence in learning Chinese language. She also encouraged more students on campus to learn Chinese language and culture.