There is a good reason they call these ceremonies 'commencement exercises'. Graduation is not the end, it's the beginning.

They see a mayor getting killed here, policeman being blown up at a graduation ceremony there. If we can get the security situation right, we will unlock that population to build a new Iraq.

The coach talked a lot about the graduation rate, which is about 97 percent. And it's quiet down there, so I can concentrate.

The last scene? I've got to tell you, everyone was bawling. People were just crying. It was like a graduation. It was very surreal. We all spoke about it earlier that day, but people were just breaking down. I mean, seven years, every day. You see people grow up, you grow up yourself, you see people going through ups and downs. It was hard for us.

We place our principals in literally a no-win situation. The days preceding graduation my stomach was in a knot watching the weather reports.

Spring is a time of celebration for families, particularly with proms and graduation around the corner. Unfortunately, it is also a season of dread for parents, because too often these celebrations turn into a time of personal tragedy as a result of underage drinking.