The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot
The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot
The student news site of Portola High School

Portola Pilot
News
Class Council displays each homecoming build built for the four class themes before debuting their dance during the homecoming halftime show against University High. Each grade level was assigned a Pixar movie, where freshman had "The Incredibles," sophomores "Monsters Inc.," juniors "Cars," and seniors "Toy Story.” “Class Council started getting involved in the beginning of the school year.” Spanish teacher and Class Council advisor Otto Lopez said. “Once they found out the theme, they started doing the backdrop build. They started choreographing the dance. They started thinking about outfits and costumes to wear.”
Class Council Arranges for Pixar-Themed Homecoming Dance
Nora Aljazzar, Staff Writer | October 25, 2024
YAT leader, Youth Outreach Program member and junior Chloe Chen hands a registration form to senior Morgan Tien during the voter registration drive on Oct. 10. “It's important that all levels of our government and our community [are accessible] to more people because we see today [there are] some restrictions in different areas of the country and people being more dissatisfied with the government,” YAT leader, Youth Outreach member and senior Aaron Owens said. “We want people to have a chance to connect with their government, to actually make a change that they want to see.”
Annual Voter Registration Drive Spurs Action
Marianne Chan, Assistant Opinion Editor | October 18, 2024
DECA vice president and senior Harini Rameshbabu introduces an ice breaker activity at the annual Portola High Business Mini Conference. Having put in the time to cultivate the conference, Rameshbabu addresses her peers in the opening activity. Rameshbabu said that her intention to join the business program came from longing for self-discovery. “I just wanted to gain more leadership skills and just overall, learn more stuff about myself and gain communication skills,” Rameshbabu said. “I thought it was a great way for me to learn what I do best and learn what works for me and not.”
Fellow IUSD Schools Join Portola High Business Mini Conference for the First Time
Nora Aljazzar, Staff Writer | October 11, 2024
Republican Senator James David (JD) Vance of Ohio and Democratic Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota present their agendas at the Vice Presidential Debate at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York.“By comparison to the presidential debate, it was sort of elucidating more so than the presidential debate,” social studies teacher Daniel Hunter said. “There were plenty of criticisms of the presidential candidates, but I felt that it was a refreshing change in the level of discourse from what we had seen in the presidential debate.”
Vance vs. Walz: The 2024 Vice Presidential Debate
Marianne Chan and Sky Nguyen | October 10, 2024
People of Portola High
Gage Peterson and Sasha Lo are looking forward to an exciting year as Portola High counselors. “I think they're a great fit for our team,” Assistant Principal Jen Ochsner said. “I just hope that our students continue to feel supported by all of our counseling staff.”
Meet Gage Peterson and Sasha Lo: New Counselors Join the Bulldog Team
Sruti Allani and Catherine Li | October 21, 2024
Podcast founder and senior Ivan Bascos gathers around the table with his friends, preparing to discuss vital topics. “I want listeners to know that their voice is heard. I want all of them to know that they are able to speak about these things, and whatever they say is valid,” Bascos said.
Tuned In: Senior Ivan Bascos Finds his Voice Behind the Mic
Kailyn Clark and Olivia Ganes | October 16, 2024
Librarian Phoebe Kern scans a book and checks it out for a student. “I consider my most important role as a librarian to create free and equitable access to information and to foster a safe and inspirational space for students [to] interact with that information in an encouraging learning environment,” Kern said.
Turning a Page in the Book of Opportunity
Aditi Salunkhe and Maya Tedini | October 14, 2024
Administrative Assistant Christina Sanchez answers one of many calls throughout the day from a parent, allowing for the school to continue operating efficiently. “I think that because I have a lot of years of experience, that I'm able to help things run smoothly,” Sanchez said.
The Faces of Portola High: Meet the Front Office Team
Jinseo Hong and Kelly Yeh | October 10, 2024
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Features
Gage Peterson and Sasha Lo are looking forward to an exciting year as Portola High counselors. “I think they're a great fit for our team,” Assistant Principal Jen Ochsner said. “I just hope that our students continue to feel supported by all of our counseling staff.”
Meet Gage Peterson and Sasha Lo: New Counselors Join the Bulldog Team
Sruti Allani and Catherine Li | October 21, 2024
Podcast founder and senior Ivan Bascos gathers around the table with his friends, preparing to discuss vital topics. “I want listeners to know that their voice is heard. I want all of them to know that they are able to speak about these things, and whatever they say is valid,” Bascos said.
Tuned In: Senior Ivan Bascos Finds his Voice Behind the Mic
Kailyn Clark and Olivia Ganes | October 16, 2024
Arts & Entertainment
Senior Hau Le takes the lead as the students featured in the fall play ‘Puffs’ introduce themselves while clad in yellow costumes, configured by Tech Theatre. “Closing night, the audience was fantastic. I remember the end scene, the battle scene, people were screaming, people were laughing,” Sally Perks and sophomore Coco Marshall said.
Portola High fall play “Puffs”: A silly spin on the story of Hufflepuffs at Hogwarts charms audience
Siri Kolanupaka and Sruti Allani | October 24, 2024
Student Teacher David Pulanco leads the treble and bass choir through warmups at the beginning of class. “Probably my favorite thing about the students at Portola is how dedicated they are to the program,” Pulanco said. “They really love working for the music. They really love working hard to get the music done. It's a passion that I don't see a lot of in students.”
A Rising Voice: Student Teacher David Pulanco’s Journey to Portola High
Nicole Ferguson and Nina Krish | October 23, 2024
Vocalist of Crocs ‘N’ Socks and junior Suah Yang bundles up in a cardigan and black sunglasses for the cozy “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood. “I’ve loved to sing since I was a little kid,” Yang said. “I’ve been doing choir for a long time, but last year Mr. Traska was like, ‘oh why don’t you do studio music,’ because I love to perform pop songs, and with a band. Performing it gives me joy because expressing my feelings through music is really fun.”
A Showdown for the Ages: Student Bands Rock the Stage
Claire Liu and Annie Xiao | October 15, 2024
Opinion
Offshore wind energy is a key example of the complexities of renewable energy sources. The public should interpret the word “renewable” with caveats as there are many side effects, both positive and negative, along with a lack of information surrounding the newer technologies that fall under this category.
Renewable Energy Sources Are Not As Straightforward As You May Think
Mary Lee, Assistant A&E Editor | October 28, 2024
This is an example of the type of AI-generated image (created by Midjourney) that has been used on social media platforms like X, Instagram and Facebook in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Although it is easier than the actual fake hurricane images to prove these images are fake because of the pixelated nose, it is still important to practice media literacy to be able to recognize deepfakes such as these.
Do Not Fall into the ‘Storm’ of AI Generation
Nora Aljazzar and Stephanie Hwang | October 22, 2024
The new club policy has potential clubs applying at the end of the year instead of the beginning, a process initially proposed by the ASB advisers, according to junior and club commissioner Nami Motwani. “There was a lot of discourse throughout the entirety of our whole club process to do it a year earlier, just because it makes one of my jobs easier,” Motwani said. “It also makes sure that clubs are able to socialize and kind of market through the beginning of the school year.”
New Year, New Policy: How the New Club Policy Brings Positive Changes
Sonia Wang and Suhana Kaur | October 9, 2024
Musicians today have a large influence on their fans, and sometimes their fans are affected by the words they say. Thus, it is important for fans to form their own opinions rather than sorely listening to their favorite artists’ takes on political and social issues.
Follow the Music, Not the Musicians
Stephanie Hwang and Nora Aljazzar | October 3, 2024
Sports
Running back and senior Diego Reyna celebrates after getting two consecutive first downs in the second quarter. “I was just so excited to have a big crowd out there and just everyone that I know backed in the stands,” captain, quarterback and senior Nash Luper said. “The hype around it was really cool. Coming out of it, it was just so much fun to have all those people there and to get a win in front of all of them.”
Football Maintains First Place in Omicron League Following Exhilarating Homecoming Win
Ruhi Samudra, Co-Editor-in-Chief | October 28, 2024
Leanna Roman and Kylie Nguyen prepare for their Oct. 2 practice after school. They interact with the entire team before even the warm-ups begin. “We’re on the court as a family,” according to Roman.
Meet the Captains: How the Girls’ Tennis Team Rises to Success
Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | October 16, 2024
Issues
October 2024: Volume 9 Issue 1
October 2024: Volume 9 Issue 1

 

May 2024: Volume 8 Issue 7
May 2024: Volume 8 Issue 7

 

April 2024: Volume 8 Issue 6
April 2024: Volume 8 Issue 6

 

February 2024: Volume 8 Issue 5
February 2024: Volume 8 Issue 5

 

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The student news site of Portola High School
The student news site of Portola High School