In one of the most powerful moments of the speech, Sorkin told the story of his college roommate Chris, a fellow theater major who died of AIDS in the 1980s, when the White House refused to fund research because the disease was 'only affecting homosexuals.' Sorkin used this deeply personal story to make the case that engagement with the world beyond your own interests is not optional — that being informed, compassionate citizens is something their education demands of them. He told graduates they were 'too good for gossip and snark' and 'too good to think people who disagree with you are your enemy.'