Chinese civilization of 6000 years is one of the oldest and richest in the world. Chinese is the language spoken by the largest population in the world. Chinese is one of the few languages which remain pictographic.
Chinese calligraphy is a form of art.
With the largest population and the fastest growing economy, China has among the greatest potential as a market for U.S. goods. Thus taking Chinese not only satisfies a language requirement but it could be the greatest asset to anyone's career background.