CLINTON — Some Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES Distance Learning Chinese program students said they study Chinese because they like the challenge of learning a new language, while others like the Chinese culture or anticipate the chance to travel there someday. And a few noted they are learning the language simply because they like Chinese food.

Whatever the motivation, those Chinese language students hailing from several area school districts celebrated the Chinese New Year together Friday in the Clinton Middle School auditorium. The Year of the Rabbit was ushered in with a variety of student performances and videos, culminating in traditional Chinese musical performances featuring Huiyang Li, Daisy Wu, Ying Wu and Morgan Huang of the Confucius Institute at Alfred University.

"This was very well organized and the students were very well engaged," said OHM BOCES Computer Education Coordinator Xiuyan Huo, the emcee for the event. "It was cool to see that level of energy today."

Students and teachers from the Adirondack, Clinton, Holland Patent, New Hartford, Oriskany, Waterville and Whitesboro schools participated in the event. Ellen Bowen from Clinton Middle School was named the winner of the OHM BOCES Chinese New Year Greeting Card Contest and winners of the recent National Chinese Essay Contest were also applauded.

Edin Hadzimujic, a ninth grader from Whitesboro, said he was introduced to the Chinese language while in fifth grade and wanted to learn more. He expects soon his studies in Chinese will look good on a college resume.

Fellow Whitesboro ninth-grader Indy Anderson said that if he goes into business once he graduates it will be nice to know Chinese.

Holland Patent eighth-grader Justin Sturtevant said he enjoys the challenge of learning a very different language. He also likes the culture of China.

Students from across the state are learning Chinese thanks to the distance learning program at OHM BOCES, said Greg Smith, OHM BOCES Supervisor-Computer Education Coordinator. Smith said they offer 90 classes a day with 15 full-time staff members, reaching some 900 students statewide.

Established in 2008, the Confucius Institute at Alfred University is a collaboration between Alfred University and China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, China with the support of the Confucius Institute Headquarters. Its mission is "to encourage and enable people to discover the language and culture of China, and to serve as a platform for cultural exchange, as well as a bridge of friendship and cooperation between Chinese and American people."

"We were very happy to be able to share out culture with this program," said Daisy Wu, visiting professor of music and director of Chinese Language and Culture Programming at the Confucius Institute. "Our mission is one of cultural exchange and to prepare our next generation to be global citizens."