Aaron Sorkin revealed to his commencement audience Sunday that he had recently celebrated his 11-year anniversary of being free from cocaine, an addiction that had once controlled him.

‘The problem with drugs is that they work,’ Sorkin said.

He described how he used to rely on drugs for his writing and reached a point where he believed he couldn’t write without them. But then Sorkin went on to list the successes he has had since becoming drug-free. He received a passionate reaction from the crowd.

More than 5,500 students participated in the 158^th Syracuse University and 115^th State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry commencement in the Carrier Dome. SU awarded 5,056 bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and associate degrees. ESF awarded 637 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

Sorkin, the keynote speaker, began his speech by thanking the 16,000 people in attendance. After a few minutes, he began addressing the recent graduates who filled the seats directly in front of him on the subject of what their futures would bring.

‘It’s a combination of life being unpredictable and you being super dumb,’ Sorkin said.

The audience erupted with laughter at Sorkin’s jab at the glorified students in their caps and gowns. The theme continued throughout the first half of his speech.

The 1983 SU alumnus is an acclaimed writer and producer of films and television series, famous for his work on ‘The West Wing,’ which earned him 24 Emmy Awards, and ‘The Social Network,’ the 2010 Facebook-inspired film that earned him a Golden Globe for best screenplay.

Sorkin continued to amuse the audience, weaving his way through witticisms regarding his own time at SU. He described a theater class he failed and was forced to retake, highlighting how hard he worked to bring up his grade the second time.

‘And by God, when I got my grades at the end of the year, I turned that F into a D,’ Sorkin said, leading to an eruption of laughter among those in the audience.

To their further amusement, he added, ‘Just kidding. It was pass-fail.’

Parents especially were appreciative of Sorkin’s willingness to share intimate details of his life, particularly his cocaine addiction, with the commencement audience. Margaret Walsh, mother of graduate Kayla Walsh and a teacher for 20 years, was grateful for his honesty and said she thought it was the best part of the speech.

‘To listen to a man so accomplished talk about losing a decade of his life to that, I don’t think there could be any better cautionary example to the graduates and everybody else who heard him,’ Walsh said.

Margo Roniet, mother of graduate Marjade Roniet, shared a similar sentiment.

‘I thought it was very inspiring,’ Roniet said. ‘We all have obstacles in life. Our future really depends on how we deal with obstacles, and it’s not a problem that should define us.’
After sharing his personal experiences, Sorkin moved toward a more profound, overarching address related specifically to his audience.

‘The rules are about to change and one of them is this: Decisions are made by those who show up,’ Sorkin said. ‘Don’t ever forget that you’re a citizen of this world.’

This line in particular seemed to resonate with students, and the quote was tweeted multiple by times by people in the audience during the speech.

Though Sorkin didn’t completely abandon humor, commenting that Georgetown alumni can ‘go to hell,’ the end of his speech was more inspirational than comical.

‘He is able to connect with students,’ said Margaret Spinosa, a biochemistry, religion and writing triple major. ‘His speech seemed to flow really nice, and I think students and faculty really loved it.’

The speech ended with a standing ovation from the audience. Sorkin concluded the speech on an invigorated note.

Said Sorkin: ‘Today is May 13, and today you graduate, and, my friends, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.’

cedebais@syr.edu

 

Published on May 13, 2012 at 12:00 pm

Contact Chelsea: cedebais@syr.edu | @CDeBaise124