Nebraska
Once a student, Johnson is a linchpin for the Pride of All Nebraska
Rose Johnson has been a friendly face amongst the Pride of All Nebraska for 47 years, supporting the Cornhusker Marching Band as the band office assistant. Not only that, Johnson is a homegrown Husker, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in education in 1978.
In her role, Johnson has kept the band marching forward — from organizing auditions and uniforms to planning travel for the band. But beyond the logistics, her work has always been about people: helping students find their place and carrying on the traditions that first shaped her own Husker experience.
Johnson took us on a trip down memory lane, exploring her experiences as a Husker in the 1970s.
What is your favorite memory from your time as a student?
I tried out for the volleyball team in 1973. They were in the NAIA then. Pat Sullivan was the coach and she held open tryouts. I made it to the last cut, but didn’t make the final cut. They decided not to take any freshmen because they couldn’t travel in the early 70s. I was very proud that I made it that far, considering I learned how to play volleyball from a photo workbook that my father bought for me.
Another memory is of the construction of the north annex to the Love Library that took place in the fall of 1973. There was a huge hole in the ground for the foundation/basement and it rained almost every weekday during September that year. The hole completely flooded. They finally had to pump the water out and drain it to the west along T Street. I was on the north side of T Street by the Stadium and needed to cross the street for a class in Richards Hall. Thankfully, a football player in my class carried me across the temporary river.
What brought you back to work at your alma mater?
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do and the job market wasn’t great in 1978. My brother had been a graduate assistant for Jack Snider, director of bands, and he heard that there was a job opening in the band office. My brother thought I would enjoy working with the band program and encouraged me to apply.
How has campus changed since you were a student?
There are many new buildings since my student days, especially the new residence halls. The Rec Center was added after I was a student. There was a tiny building just south of Sandoz Hall on Vine Street where students could rent sports equipment. The Lied Center is a great addition that was completed after my student days. There was a Taco Inn on that site, along with the bookstore, and Oscar’s Diner, which became Andy’s.
The whole downtown area is more beautiful and there are many more venues now, especially in the Haymarket area, which was full of abandoned warehouses when I was a student.
Was there a class, professor or experience that changed your path or shaped who you are today?
I wanted to be a visual art major, but my parents thought I needed a subject that would lead to more job prospects. We compromised at first by starting as an undeclared student. However, the art department offered a painting class for non-majors, so I enrolled. The instructor, Richard Trickey, thought I was good enough to be an art major and encouraged me to pursue that. He helped me complete the paperwork and encouraged my acceptance based on the work I did in his class. I have always appreciated his faith in me. He definitely went out of his way for me. He was also a very interesting and eccentric person and made the work fun.
What is one piece of advice you’d give a current Nebraska student?
Don’t procrastinate. I was a terrible procrastinator and often waited until the last minute to research and write a paper. Remember, the internet didn’t exist then, nor did personal computers. It took me forever to learn that I was putting unnecessary pressure on myself by waiting so long to just get started.
Also, get involved in something on campus outside of the classroom. It will help you meet other students so that you can make friends with similar interests. That will help you become a better student.
The Nebraska State Fair is celebrating America’s 250th anniversary with a special 72-hour flash sale on Season Passes.
From July 3 through July 5, fans can purchase a 2026 Season Pass for just $50—a significant discount from its regular value of $132.
The pass includes one admission per day for all 11 days of the 2026 Nebraska State Fair, making it ideal for visitors who plan to attend multiple days.
Fair officials say the promotion is one of the biggest Season Pass discounts offered in years and will not be extended.
After July 5, Season Passes will remain available at a higher discounted price.
OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Legalizing online sports betting has met with resistance in the Nebraska Legislature for years.
Tax Relief Nebraska, a group backed by Nebraska casinos and online sports betting groups, took the issue to the people of the state through a petition drive.
Those petitions are now in, and casino officials say they expect to have enough signatures to make the November ballot — but also expect pushback through Election Day.
The case for online betting
Currently, legal sports bets cannot be placed on a phone in Nebraska. Casino operators say people who choose to wager are finding other ways to do it.
“They’re just doing it illegally through a virtual private network, or they’re driving over to the first exit between Iowa and Nebraska, placing a bet and then driving back to their home,” said Lynne McNally of Warhorse Casino.
Nebraska casino operators say the state has already collected millions of dollars in state taxes and property tax relief from casino gambling, and that online sports betting would add to that total.
A majority of Nebraskans voted for casino gambling to enter the state in 2020, and casino operators expect similar support if the online betting petition makes the November ballot.
“As you know, we got 65% on the constitutional amendment and actually got nearly 70% on the tax portion of the statute when the casinos were legalized in 2020. I think that we’ll be in that area, if not maybe a little higher than that,” McNally said.
“There’s always going to be a sector of the public that doesn’t want to gamble. They don’t want to go to our facilities and that’s just fine. I guess I have an objection with trying to tell other people what to do,” McNally said.
The opposition
The Nebraska Family Alliance stands against online gambling and plans to campaign against the initiative across the state. The nonprofit group issued a statement that reads in part: “Online sports betting has been a massive public policy failure that benefits national sportsbooks at the expense of kids, student-athletes, families and businesses. While they have more money, they don’t have the truth.”
Pat Loontjer, director of Gambling with the Good Life, has opposed expanded gambling in Nebraska for 30 years.
“They’re telling the same lie — property tax relief. Well in Nebraska you say property tax relief and everybody says where do I sign,” Loontjer said.
Loontjer also raised concerns about the impact on young people.
“Sports betting on the phone is the most addictive thing for young people, young men especially. You’ve got kids that are going to lose their scholarships, lose their future,” Loontjer said.
What comes next
If enough signatures are verified and the issue is placed on the November ballot, Warhorse Casino officials say Nebraskans could be able to make sports bets on their phones by spring of next year.
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Along with marching in the parade, the high schools will tour the U.S. Capitol, visit Mount Vernon and other monuments and museums.
Around 80 Grand Island students are making the trip. Lee said the students cover their own costs, with fundraising largely run though the school’s booster program helping offset the expense.
Bishop Neumann’s 53 students benefited from community donations, along with a holiday greenery sale and fundraisers, which Kellett said helped cover airfare and other costs.
For both directors, the trip carries extra weight tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“That’s a pretty big milestone,” Lee said. “And to be able to be a part of that is pretty neat.”
Kellett said the moment will stay with students long after the parade ends.
“These kids, they’ll be around for the 300th anniversary of the country, and they’ll be able to look back and tell their grandkids, ‘you know, I was there at 250 and was able to march in the National Independence Day Parade,’” Kellett said.
Both bands have spent the summer preparing. Grand Island started working on its music after its final spring concert in May, rehearsing its marching and music together on Tuesday evenings.
Bishop Neumann has rehearsed continuously over the summer and marched in two parades to prepare, a 150th anniversary celebration in Weston and the Papillion Days parade.
Kellett said the band’s last rehearsal in Wahoo drew residents who lined the streets holding signs and cheering the students on.
“The students have come in, and they’ve worked really hard,” Kellett said. “They have their music memorized and they’ve worked on their marching skills, and so all that effort into this they’re ready to go for the parade.”
The parade starts at 9:30 a.m. CT Saturday at Third Street and Constitution Avenue.
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