Chancellor Rodney Bennett helped students get a sweet start to the new semester at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Aug. 21.

Bennett handed out cookies at the Nebraska Union to kick off the first day of classes for the 2023-24 academic year.

Bennett received an assist from Diemhong Tran, team leader at the East Campus Dining Center, who baked and decorated 500 buttery sugar cookies to give away to students. She said the process, which included packaging the cookies with fellow dining staff members, took five to six hours.

Deann Gayman | University Communication and Marketing

Diemhong Tran, team leader at the East Campus Dining Center, baked and decorated 500 cookies to be given away the first day of classes.

At the Union, some students stopped and chatted with Bennett as they made their way to class. Others asked for a picture with him as he wound his way around the union. Mackenzie Noble, sophomore broadcasting major from Algonquin, Illinois, said she was excited to be able to connect with the chancellor face-to-face as he begins his tenure at the university.

“He’s excited, you could tell,” she said. “That helps, when the people in charge are excited. It makes everyone excited.”

Rashedul Hasan, a doctoral student in computer science, was glad students had the opportunity to connect with the new chancellor so they could start to get to know him.

“It’s very important the top executives of the university connect to the students to know actually what they think,” Hasan said.

Craig Chandler | University Communication and Marketing

Chancellor Rodney Bennett passes out cookies and chats with students at Nebraska Union.

Hasan’s research focuses on software engineering, including software security and machine learning. He said he’s looking forward to furthering his research, publishing papers, attending conferences and meeting more students.

Noble said she had an easy first day — only one class on her schedule — but she’s excited to be back on campus.

“It’s excited just to be back, with football games, getting closer to more in-depth major stuff,” she said. “Just getting involved again after being away.”

Craig Chandler | University Communication and Marketing

Chemistry 109 began the new school year with a bang. Each Monday lecture demonstrated how atoms can combine into different molecules. Hydrogen and oxygen can make water but can also combine to make an explosive gas. Richard Hartung capped his first lecture with a bang as he exploded a balloon filled with a H2O2 gas and lit it using a candle taped to a long stick.

In the classroom, some chemistry students started their semester with a bang. Shuo Sun, lecturer in chemistry, demonstrated the power of chemical reactions to Chemistry 109 students in a busy lecture hall in Hamilton Hall. Sun lit a candle attached to a pole, told students to cover their ears and held the candle to a balloon filled with hydrogen peroxide gas, quickly filling the room with an explosive noise.

“This class will take you from science fiction to reality,” Sun said.

During the lecture, Sun explained the clicker system used in class, the exam schedule and the homework software. He encouraged students to introduce themselves to their classmates, pair up and discuss the material as the course progresses. He said frequent review and sharing ideas with others will help students actually understand the concepts they learn in class.

“We came here to learn,” he said. “Memorization is not learning.”

Video: The Nebraska Look