SEEKING COLLEGIAL COMFORT

Aaron Sorkin, executive producer of "The West Wing," surfaced on the East
Coast yesterday, three weeks after he was arrested on the West Coast on
drug possession charges.

"When you feel stupid and embarrassed, facing a ballroom full of
distinguished people in your industry is just what the doctor ordered," he
told the International Radio and Television Society Foundation in
Manhattan, which gave him an award for his Emmy-winning work on the NBC drama.

He was arrested at the airport in Burbank, Calif., last month, accused of
carrying hallucinogenic mushrooms in his luggage. He was released on
$10,000 bail and is to appear in court there next month.

Yesterday, Mr. Sorkin thanked the cast and crew of "The West Wing" and his
lawyer, who, he said, "is getting a bit of a workout these days." Mr.
Sorkin said after his arrest that he had undergone treatment for cocaine
addiction several years ago.