For the first time, Champlain College Saint-Lambert’s Model United Nations team has ranked in the Top 25 in the North American rankings compiled by Best Delegate.

“Every year, the College MUN rankings celebrate the MUN teams that showed immense resilience by not only enduring despite the year’s challenges, but also succeeding at the highest level possible in collegiate Model UN,” according to the Best Delegate website.

The Champlain College Model United Nations (CCMUN) is currently ranked as the highest CEGEP in Quebec, ranked second in Canada just below Concordia and scoring above American teams including Stanford, Brown and Yale.

The group is ranked as the top 22 in North America, when only a year ago, they were ranked in the top 75.

Ester Gitto, president of CCMUN and a second-year student in Social Science, said it was “pretty unbelievable” to see her team ranked so high internationally.

“It’s really impressive because we never saw it coming,” said Gitto. “It feels like our hard work and determination paid off.”

The Champlain team won awards at two of the three eligible Canadian conferences it attended this year.

 

Two students smiling.

At the beginning of the Fall 2021, Champlain College MUN welcomed its biggest number of new delegates in its history.

Champlain’s team organized its own Model UN conference in the fall and also attended conferences hosted by Concordia, McGill, University of Toronto, Vanier and John Abbott College.

The delegation was awarded “Outstanding Large Delegation” at conferences in Toronto and at Concordia as well as many individual awards for members.

Rosalie Gauthier, a second-year student in Law and Civlization and the club’s secretary general, said that Champlain’s Model UN team was a big draw for her when choosing a Cegep.

The team’s leadership has put an emphasis on developing problem-solving and public-speaking skills and encourages the members to practice writing position papers, resolutions, and amendments as well as familiarizing themselves with voting procedures.

Gauthier said that it’s a pleasure to see members grow in skill and confidence over time.

“Sometimes they start shy, then at the end of the year, they are public speaking and winning awards,” she said.