We're going to work hard to make the graduation ceremonies just as exciting as they would be if they were held here.

The field will be all torn up at graduation time — it won't be the best setting for the ceremony.

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.