From Dragon Staff Reports
Duke the Dragon is a permanent fixture at NHS football games and a favorite with fans young and old, alike.
Wearing the Dragon costume this year is NHS freshman Mia Bentley, and she brings energy and enthusiasm not only to sidelines, but also to other special school events.
“I decided to try out for the school mascot because I wanted to do something at school that would allow me to showcase my school spirit and be involved in a variety of ways,” she said. “I was mascot at McMichael my 8th grade year. At first I just did it to try something new, but throughout the year I grew to like being part of a team.”
Mia said her favorite part of being mascot is getting to meet little kids and see them with excited looks on their faces. She likes taking pictures with them at football games.
“Recently I learned how to do a cartwheel and somersault,” she said. “It was relatively hard to learn because of how large the costume is on me. For this reason I always end up tripping around, which isn’t painful but very hilarious.”
Mia said the hardest part of her job is how hot it is inside the suit, and the difficulty of moving in it.
“When baseball season begins, Duke will be there, too,” she said. “Other events include fall festivals at elementary schools, parades and school assemblies.”
It’s a busy first year of high school for Mia. In addition to being Duke the Dragon, she is also in STEM, Key Club and Varsity Tennis.