Nebraska

Nebraska ⁱ/nəˈbræskə/ is a state that lies in both the Great Plains and the Midwestern United States. Its state capital is Lincoln. Its largest city is Omaha, which is on the Missouri River. The state is crossed by many historic trails and was explored by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The California Gold Rush brought the first large numbers of non-indigenous settlers to the area. Nebraska was admitted as the 37th state of the United States in 1867. The climate has wide variations between winter and summer temperatures, and violent thunderstorms and tornadoes are common. The state is characterized by treeless prairie, which is ideal for cattle-grazing. It is a major producer of beef, as well as pork, corn, and soybeans. The largest ancestry group claimed by Nebraskans is German American. The state also has the largest per capita population of Czech Americans among U.S. states.

Etymology

Nebraska's name is derived from transliteration of the archaic Otoe words Ñí Brásge, pronounced [ɲĩbɾasꜜkɛ] (contemporary Otoe Ñí Bráhge), or the Omaha Ní Btháska, pronounced [nĩbɫᶞasꜜka], meaning "flat water", after the Platte River that flows through the state.

Lucy Rose

Lucy Rose Parton, known as Lucy Rose (born 20 June 1989) is an English singer-songwriter from Warwickshire, England. Her debut album, Like I Used To was released in September 2012. Lucy Rose released her second album Work It Out on 6 July 2015 on Columbia Records.

Life and career

Born in Frimley, Surrey, England, Rose's musical origins began with her playing drums in her school orchestra, her songwriting started writing tunes on her family home's piano, she later bought a guitar from a shop she passed on the way to school, taught herself and began writing material at around the age of sixteen. Rose never played her material for anyone until she left home after completing her A-levels. At eighteen, she moved to London; but instead of taking her place at University College London to study geography, she began experimenting and performing with other musicians. It was at this time when she met Jack Steadman, the frontman of Bombay Bicycle Club. After becoming friends Steadman asked if she would like to perform vocals on a song he had written and was recording. The acoustic album Flaws came out with Steadman on lead vocals, and Rose performing backing vocals most notably on the title track "Flaws", as well as others on the album. She also performs some backing vocal duties on Bombay Bicycle Club's third album, A Different Kind of Fix, and features in their fourth, So Long, See You Tomorrow. Rose also performs some backing vocal duties on the track This Sullen Welsh Heart by the Manic Street Preachers on their album Rewind the Film.

Jack Hoffman

Jack Hoffman (born September 26, 2005) from Atkinson, Nebraska, has pediatric brain cancer. In 2012, between his first and second brain surgeries, he was introduced to Rex Burkhead, then a football player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. Subsequently, a close connection developed between Hoffman and the team. On April 6, 2013, at the annual Nebraska spring game, Hoffman at age 7 entered the game during the fourth quarter and ran for a 69 yards (63 m) touchdown that received national and international attention. He subsequently met with President Barack Obama, received a Best Moment ESPY Award for 2013, and the United States Senate approved a motion recognizing his role in raising awareness of pediatric brain cancer. The Team Jack Foundation was formed by his parents, Andy and Bri Hoffman, to raise money for pediatric brain research.

Background

Hoffman was born and is growing up in Atkinson, Nebraska. His parents are Andy and Bri Hoffman and he has two sisters, Ava and Reese.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) is the name given to the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference and the Cornhuskers compete in NCAA Division I, fielding 22 varsity teams in 15 sports.

Early nicknames for the university's athletic teams included the "Hawkeyes" (which is now associated with the University of Iowa), the "Antelopes" (which the University of Nebraska at Kearney later adopted), the "Old Gold Knights", the "Bugeaters" and the "Mankilling Mastodons". The name Cornhuskers first appeared in the school newspaper as "We Have Met The Cornhuskers And They Are Ours" referring to a 20–18 upset victory over Iowa in 1893. The name would be used again, this time to refer to Nebraska by Charles "Cy" Sherman in The Nebraska State Journal during the 1899 season and would replace all other names by 1900.

The Cornhuskers have two official mascots, Herbie Husker and Lil' Red.

Alexander Payne

Alexander Payne (born Constantine Alexander Payne; February 10, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer, known for the films Citizen Ruth (1996), Election (1999), About Schmidt (2002), Sideways (2004), The Descendants (2011), and Nebraska (2013). His films are noted for their dark humor and satirical depictions of contemporary American society. Payne is a two time winner of the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and a three time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director.

Early life

Payne was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Peggy (née Constantine) and George Payne, restaurant owners. Payne is the youngest of three sons and grew up in what is now known as the Dundee-Happy Hollow Historic District, the same neighborhood as billionaire Warren Buffett.

His father is of Greek and German descent, and his mother is of Greek ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Nicholas "Nick" Payne, anglicized the last name from Papadopoulos. His family comes from three areas in Greece: the island of Syros, Livadia, and Aegio.