On Monday, April 13, a small group of Tibetan monks began the meticulous construction of a sand mandala in the lobby of the Gallegher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center at UNI, and I was there for the opening ceremony. I went back on Wednesday and again on Friday to see how the mandala was evolving, and then Laurie and I were there on Sunday the 19th to see the closing ceremony. This picture was taken on Friday, April 17. (I've watched sand mandalas being worked on before — in Cleveland in 1997 and Baltimore in 2008 — and there are photos of those projects and some commentary here.)