- The Stanton commencement ceremony is underway.
- Peter Keating, top of his class and all-around hotshot, considers how triumphant he is.
- While he's patting himself on the back, a famous architect named Guy Francon is speaking about "truth, beauty, and love." He tacks "architecture" on the end of that to avoid copyright infringement with Moulin Rouge.
- Keating also gives a spiel to his classmates and regurgitates much of Francon's speech.
- Keating then heads home to his mom's boarding house, after making plans to go out with his friends that night. Graduation party, woo!
- Before partying, Keating must make a big decision.
- Should he accept a job at Francon's firm or should he go to Paris to study architecture some more at the Beaux Arts, a famous school? (You can read up on the Beaux Arts school here.)
- Keating comes across Roark chilling on the porch.
- The two are wary around each other. They have that whole frenemy thing going on.
- Keating asks Roark's advice, and Roark can't figure out why Keating can't just think for himself.
- Keating's mom arrives and starts pressuring him to take the job with Francon.
- Roark finally tells Keating just take the job (and to please stop dithering about it) since school is useless and he doesn't even care anyway.