On Tuesday, April 9, students from varying levels of Chinese courses performed skits showcasing their mastery of the Chinese language. The competition was co-sponsored by the Confucius Institute and the department of German, Russian, Asian, and Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures (GRAMELAC).

All students created a skit for class, and the best ones were chosen to participate in the competition. They competed in three levels: elementary, intermediate, and advanced. The skits centered around a variety of topics such as relationships and school. The students’ animated performances included props, as they acted out the scene through their words and movements.

Each skit was graded by a panel of judges, who each gave it a score ranging from one to 10. Judges included GRAMELAC Department Associate Chair Liang Shi, Director of the Confucius Institute Chen Zhao, Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering Qihou Zhou, Associate Registrar for Operations Juan Rodriguez, and Associate Director for the Rinella Learning Center Gary Ritz.

Later, an advanced Chinese class recited tongue twisters and sang a song. This gave these students a chance to participate and showcase their advanced Chinese language skills.

After all the students performed, the judges deliberated and then announced first, second, and third place winners for each division. In the beginning level, performers Marta Fioretti and Josie Spitzer took first place with their skit, “My Boyfriend.” Meili Aiello and Sarafina Schimek won the intermediate category with “A Love Story between an Idiot and a Fool.” Coming out on top of the advanced category was the performance “Learning Tongue Twisters” by Dania Puente Davila, Grant Mercer, Jacqueline Kopicki, and Bri Clements. The winners all received a certificate and a cash prize.

The student performances were a demonstration of their mastery of the Chinese language, and all of them were well-practiced and acted out beautifully. The audience greatly enjoyed the skits as well and applauded loudly when each group was finished.

The performances were a testament to the hard work of the professors, who helped the students prepare and reach this skill level. Staff members of the Confucius Institute also worked to make sure the event ran smoothly and was a success.