RubyScanlan

In The Network’s November Google survey of 166 students, 65 percent stated that they desire to leave Omaha and Nebraska, because of school, work, life or just pure boredom. However, the city is not as boring as many may think. With history and mysteries buried within, Omaha is far from a regular Midwest city. 

Boom! Balloon rubber rains down from the sky as a fireball explodes above the 50th and Underwood intersection in the dark of the night.

The boom woke up Dundee residents, but many had assumed it was just a firework. The truth was more alarming. On April 18, 1945, Nebraska was hit with a Japanese balloon bomb, one of thousands that had been released into the United States in the last months of WWII.

These bombs were made to cause chaos and panic in the United States. The balloons were equipped with bombs that detonate on contact. The Japanese military released about 9,000 balloons over a five-month period during an offensive operation.

The explosion from the balloon caused minor damage in Dundee with no injuries reported, but other states were not so lucky, with six fatalities taking place in Oregon after hikers came across an undetonated bomb. 

Bombs are not the only objects impacting the city from the sky. Omaha is known to be a magnet for severe weather, like tornadoes and thunderstorms. But every once in a while, “big storms seemed to avoid Omaha by a couple miles,” said freshman Charlotte McGill. This has come to be known as the “Omadome” and has gained popularity in recent years. 

“The Omadome pops up all over news channels,” said McGill.  

Storms seem to shift at the last minute, missing the city and some surrounding areas. Theories have varied over the years, including a transparent shield that was built around the city, the level of lead in the soil and magic. “It is a phenomenon that doesn’t seem possible…there’s more to it than meets the eye,” said McGill. 

However fun the magic theory is, the likely explanation comes from science and the “heat-island” effect. This is caused by heat rising from heavily urban areas into the atmosphere, causing significant changes in temperature that can shift a storm’s direction. But this has not stopped Omaha residents from dreaming up different theories.  “Most often people in Omaha…attribute it to the lore of Omaha, and as something more mystical than scientific,” said McGill. 

 While the Omadome protects the city from nasty storms, an oddity lingers underneath the city. Beneath the busy streets and construction of downtown Omaha lies a secret. An underground network of tunnels, once rumored to be used for secret movement from one building to another, storage space, bootlegging and other crimes in the early 1900s, now lies abandoned. The tunnels once housed a studio for Phil Hawkins, an abstract artist and Omaha native, in 2015 before the tunnels were sealed off completely due to safety reasons. 

Underground tunnels provide many different functions for Omaha residents. One underpass, located at 51st and Dodge, dubbed the “Dodge Street Subway,” is used by Dundee residents to get from one side of the busy street to another. The tunnel was built in 1934 but has been renovated since, providing a safer commute for students attending Dundee Elementary School on the south side of Dodge Street. 

North Omaha has become a hot spot of African American culture and history, with many civil rights icons, like Malcolm X and Bertha Calloway, hailing from the area. 

Street names, murals and organizations in North Omaha commemorate influential figures who have helped to significantly shape social and cultural reforms. Museums, community centers and schools teach about the past, inspiring future activists and game changers. “I find it imperative that people of color understand their history so all of us can fight for our rights,” said sophomore Toni Jeffery.  

 The deep history encourages not just the residents of North Omaha, but every part of the city. “At this time, more than ever, we need everyone to take a stand against racism, misogyny, etc.,” said Jeffery.

Omaha has been the source of talent and success, with possibilities for all.“I have hope for Omaha. I think Omaha is above the hatred that is spewed out to the public,” Jeffery said.  

Marian graduates have also made their mark on their hometown, like Laura Frenzer ‘89, an award-winning actress, writer and filmmaker, and Sarah Fili Kellams ‘11, a former anchor and reporter on Omaha’s KETV NewsWatch 7. 

It is only a matter of time until more leaders come to light, with Marian girls trailblazing along the way.