• Sat 13 May: 7 pm –

  • Matt Rees '86 – a former White House speechwriter – will moderate a panel discussion featuring Acalanes graduates from several classes. Confirmed panelists include:

    • Will Forte '88: has appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies over the past 25 years, including the Oscar-nominated film “Nebraska” and “Saturday Night Live,” where he was a cast member from 2002-2012. A Blueprint profile of Forte published in 1987 was headlined “the Dr. Pepper of Acalanes.” (Alas, the article never explained precisely what that designation means.)

    • Liz Heldens '87 – "I feel like I lived on the fringes at Acalanes, but maybe that's just how I remember it. Since around 2000, I have been a television writer and worked on many shows, including Friday Night Lights and The Dropout. I have created a handful of shows, most recently The Big Leap for Fox and Will Trent for ABC. I love my job. I am married with two spectacular children."

    • Karen Kirschner Johnson '86: after leading a quiet existence at Acalanes, she and her husband, Mike, now own and manage the iconic Roundup Saloon in Lafayette.

    • Scott Talan '80: Scott was a rambunctious student at Acalanes, and one teacher told him he had "wasted potential." But Scott found a love of politics and government in Dick Dobbins' class, and by the age of 30 he was Mayor of Lafayette. He later transitioned into the TV news industry and then entered academia. He is now a professor at American University in Washington, DC.

The wide-ranging discussion will explore each panelist’s high school experience, with some eye-opening disclosures supplemented by '80s pop culture banter. You’ll hear about:

• • • • Will experimenting with drugs for the first time, during an AKLAN work weekend!

      • Liz channeling her Acalanes experience to develop a storyline that appeared in an unforgettable “Friday Night Lights” episode

      • Karen running away from home with friends from Acalanes – and the Acalanes employee who harbored them

      • Scott breaking into a classroom to pilfer an upcoming English test

The location will be Acalanes (!), in the school’s performing arts center (where the cafeteria used to be). 

After the panel, drop by the Round Up for a drink. 

Lots more information here: 

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/all-star-panel-discussion-featuring-will-forte-and-other-acalanes-alumni-tickets-605281331757