200K people signed up before MNSure's deadline

Three weeks after the MNsure deadline was closed, it saw success.

Bring Me the News reports that more than 200,000 people have signed up for public and private health-care insurance through MNSure.

MNsure's interim CEO director, Scott Leitz is pleased with the numbers right now and he also says that the 200,000 people that signed up represents real people. From parents treating their kids to an peditrician, to people going through pre-existing conditions, they would have not been able to get affordable coverage with a public program.

Minnesotans who haven't signed up for health-care plans have to wait until open registration begins on Novenber 15th, or be subjected to pay a tax penalty.

Courtesy: MNSure on Twitter

Speech and Chemistry Yields Success

Many students on the SMSU campus are good at something. Some are good in athletics, some are good in music, but one SMSU student combines his two major interests as a way to make his voice heard.

Nick Dorman has been part of the SMSU Forensics Team for 3 years. After breaking finals and getting a number of trophies later, he is now getting the chance of a lifetime. This weekend, he will be competing in the Interstate Oratorical Association National Tournament that will be located on the campus of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

How did he earn this huge honor? He earned it by winning the state oratory category at the Minnesota Collegiate Forensics Association Tournament back in February. In his persuasive (oratory) speech, he advocates for federal regulation of a dangerous chemical called triclosan. This chemical is found in many consumer products such as hand sanitizer.

Dorman told SMSU Today back in February, the reason behind the persuasive speech was a lecture about triclosan in Dr. Steve Kramer's honors seminar course. Afterwards, he then researched this chemical which then turned into an award-winning speech.

Dorman is the second SMSU student that qualified for this tournament since 2002 when former alum Tanya Sponholz won and advanced to the national tournament.

Prior to the tournament, Dorman performed his speech at the Spring Forensics Showcase and he even spoke at a luncheon prior to President Connie Gore's Inauguration. With all of his accomplishments, when you add his academic interests of speech and chemistry, it yields success.

We at KSSU-TV want to congratulate you and wish you the best of luck!!

Courtesy: SMSU Today Facebook Page (Spring Forensics Showcase)

"Southwest Serves"

 

While it is now getting down to the wire with classes, papers, and presentations, SMSU students still squeezed in time to volunteer in the community.

This week, "Southwest Serves" dedicated a whole week of volunteer experiences that the SMSU campus community can be a part of. From a food drive, to package 10,000 meals for Kids Against Hunger, to even picking up trash outside of Pizza Ranch which led to a participant founding a $5 dollar bill on the ground.


SMSU Today reports that these activities spotlight the many ways that SMSU gets involved in not just the community but also around Southwest Minnesota.

This week-long  volunteer experience is leading up to today's inauguration of SMSU's 9th President, Dr. Connie Gores. The event will take place this afternoon at 2:00p.m. in the R/A Facility. Following the inauguration, a reception will be held at the upper Student Center level.

If you can't be out at today's inauguration, you can watch the event live on KSSU-TV on Charter 18 and WOW 99:  www.smsu.edu/campuslife/kssu/.

For more information on President Connie Gores, check out a link from the SMSU Today website : http://www.smsu.edu/today/?articleid=2744

Courtesy: SMSU Today Facebook photo album: Litter pickup 

(Center right and center top)