Campus & Community / Magazine Feature

Symposium ‘exceeds expectations,’ alums say

They already have diplomas and jobs, their graduations are past and final grades forgotten. But on Oct. 5–6, University of Denver alumni gathered in the Sturm College of Law for the inaugural Alumni Symposium to take classes.

The symposium brought more than 100 alumni together to re-connect with each other, campus and the University’s intellectual atmosphere. Among other activities, alumni attended three class sessions, selecting from nearly 20 lecture topics.

Chancellor Robert Coombe spoke of DU’s past, present and future, and expressed his pride in the students entering DU and those leaving it. A university is partly defined by what its alumni are doing, he said. 

And DU has some notable alumni. Andy Taylor (BSBA ’70), chairman and CEO of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, and Bob Perito (BA ’64), a senior program officer of the U.S. Institute of Peace and an adviser to the Iraq study group, spoke about their careers since leaving DU and their continuing education. 

“They did a great job. It’s great to be able to re-live the intellectual part of college, to engage in a higher level of discussion,” said Brent Neiser (MGS ’05). 

Alumni ranged from those who had already attended their 50th reunions to those not even a year out. 

“This weekend exceeded my expectations,” said Bob Morehead (BSBA ’56). Morehead says that when he was a student, he commuted to take classes at the business school, then located near the Capitol. 

Now, he is thrilled to see the changes on campus and in the classroom and expressed his confidence that DU is moving in the right direction. 

Many alumni agreed with Morehead’s grade of exceeding expectations.

“This weekend gave me a much better cross-section of campus [and] an opportunity to see some cross pollination on campus,” said Susannah Pedigo (MBA ’06). “The Daniels’ experience satiated my thirst for learning, and now I want to keep learning.”  

Morehead agreed. “This is fascinating stuff. This weekend left me wanting more.”

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