Two of three North Dakota State University Homecoming king nominees caught tinkering with a sign on the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center last week were sentenced Monday to an essay assignment.

Judge Lee Christofferson, a visiting judge from Devils Lake, N.D., ordered Kyle Adam Mason, 21, and William Paul Ogdahl, 22, to each write a two-page report on “why UND is a good school,” to be filed with the Grand Forks County Clerk of District Court by Nov. 1.

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“And don’t paste off of some Wikipedia page,” warned Christofferson, a UND alumnus.

Christofferson did not specify any margin or font requirements.

Mason and Ogdahl pleaded guilty Monday morning to a misdemeanor charge each of refusing to halt after taking part in what appeared to be a prank late Wednesday.

Along with the essay assignment, the two were ordered to pay $225 each in fees and to remain law abiding for one year, after which the charge will be dropped from their records.

Incident

UND police responded to a report of about a dozen people scaling the Betty and vandalizing the Sioux Center sign at about 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to court records.

When police arrived, officers shined a spotlight on one man who was removing the “s” from the Sioux Center sign, court records say.

Upon the police’s arrival, the group scattered, but police were able to arrest Mason, Ogdahl and Alan Ross Patterson, 25, whom they believe was the one fiddling with the letter.

Patterson was not present in court Monday and entered a plea of not guilty through defense attorney Tyler Morrow.

UND police Sgt. Danny Weigel said Monday it appeared the group was trying to hang a banner, which is now in police custody, and some kind of oversized bandanas from the athletic center.

Weigel said it was a “plain NDSU banner” with “no special writing” and “no special message.”

“(Grand Forks County State’s Attorney Peter) Welte is a pretty big NDSU fan, so I’m surprised it charged out,” Morrow joked in court.

Welte completed his undergraduate studies at NDSU, and later graduated from the UND School of Law.

Christofferson noted in court Monday the prank did not result in any bad karma for either school.

“You didn’t jinx either football team,” he said, with UND and NDSU both posting wins on Saturday.