I work for Nebraska Children's Home Society. Wow, I understand about Hastings. I could not live there. Infact, I drove my daughter around Hastings College when she was looking (in 1995), and she wouldn't even look at it.
She went to Minnesota. I really like Lincoln. It is a great city, but I have never been a big fan of Omaha. I was born in Fremont and grew up in Illinois. I like the midwest, and Lincoln is a great place and really the middle of the country as well as on the interstate so you can get anywhere.