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
Reviews
Rating Chobani Flip Flavors!
Rating Chobani Flip Flavors!
September 22, 2025
Six Dried Yogurts, Six Ways!
Six Dried Yogurts, Six Ways!
September 18, 2025
From the high speed action of “F1: The Movie” to the thrilling, heroic scenes of “Superman,” the summer of 2025 introduced record breaking movies.
Blockbusters & Bingewatches: Summer of 2025 Hits
September 17, 2025
Sabrina Carpenter’s new album, “Man’s Best Friend,” has a diverse array of songs that pay homage to older production styles while also showcasing Carpenter’s experimentation.
Sabrina Carpenter’s New Album “Man’s Best Friend” Is Spunky and Retro In All The Right Ways
September 12, 2025
Laufey’s latest album, “A Matter of Time,” continues her signature blend of jazz, pop and classical influences, earning a spot among this summer’s standout releases.
These Summer Releases Make the Season ‘Feel Like Forever’
September 11, 2025
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Student Art
Pride of Portola Season Overview
Pride of Portola Season Overview
October 3, 2025
Jake Mendez plays lead guitar for his band, “Devout,” at the Remington x James set at a Santa Ana residents’ backyard on September 17th, 2025, “Gotta keep everyone united in order to make a difference.”
A Guide to Forming Your First Band: From Garage to Greatness
September 30, 2025
Dance Company captain and senior Zurie Tran dances to “Move to Miami” by Enrique Iglesias. For Tran, performing is just one part of what Dance Company does at school events. “As Dance Company, part of our job is to make sure that we're cheering for everybody,” Tran said. “We make sure other people know how spirited we are, so we can show we have that Portola pride.”
Portola Dance Company Brings the ‘Heat’ to Welcome Back Rally
September 16, 2025
Canta Bella member and junior Bella Valencia performs a solo during the ensemble’s performance of “Stay” by Rihanna. “I always enjoyed watching the Treblemakers, the all guys group, because they always have really fun dances,” Portola Singers member and junior Jaskiran Singh said. “I also loved Bella Valencia's solo and Portobella song.”
Seniors, Solos and Standing Ovations: the Annual Pops Concert was a Night to Remember
June 5, 2025
One thing that makes Portola High’s contemporary music program special is the ability for students to harness their creativity, according to instrumental music director Kyle Traska. Fittingly, Pop Performance Ensemble from Ground Wire performed an original song, “Power,” on Friday night. “More than anything, the inspiration was because of how many different people we have in our band,” senior and bass guitarist Megan Brander said. “We really wanted this original song to showcase the different musical tastes of every member. So it was a lot of just trying to incorporate everyone’s style and everyone’s instruments and vocal types.”
Portola High Celebrates Music and Community at Sixth Annual Porchella
May 27, 2025
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Arts & Entertainment
“Lilo & Stitch” brought in over $300 million at the global box office, far surpassing its $85 million production budget, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Live Action “Lilo & Stitch” Film ‘Stitches’ Together a Story of Family and Love
June 2, 2025
Kendrick Lamar and SZA took the stage at SoFi Stadium on May 21, 2025, for their 11th show together.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA deliver mesmerizing performance during their Grand National Tour
May 30, 2025
Trying The Viral Egg Flight
Trying The Viral Egg Flight
May 27, 2025
Sophomore Alice Park and senior Leah Sim practice their routine together in front of the Student Union building, improving their skills for competition and also strengthening their community bond. “Marching band is one big family,” Distante said. “We try to enforce good values into our marching band students. We would love for our students to be competitively successful, but at the end of the day, it's way more important to us as music directors that our students come out of the program being courteous and generous and empathetic and respectful and all of those great values that we find in good people.”
Marching Band and Color Guard March Into the New Season With a New Director
May 26, 2025
PinkPantheress released her second mixtape, “Fancy That,” on May 8, her first project since her debut album “Heaven Knows.”
Do You ‘Fancy That?’: PinkPantheress’ New Mixtape Is So Well-Produced, It’s ‘Illegal’
May 23, 2025
Junior Jane Ryu stands in front of her winning art from over the past three years. “I think it helps to think about how your message will be received by people beyond Portola,” Ryu said. “Choosing something that’s both personal and relatable universally can make your work really stand out.”
Junior Jane Ryu Paints Her Way Towards Growth in the Congressional Art Competition
May 16, 2025
Kali Uchis released her fifth studio album entirely in English on May 9, marking this as her first project recorded solely in one language.
Kali Uchis’ ‘Sincerely,’ Hits All the Right Notes on Love and Life
May 15, 2025
“Thunderbolts*” is considered to be one of most positively reviewed Marvel movies. After recently releasing low rated films like “Deadpool and Wolverine” and “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts*” scored a high 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Thunderbolts*” Tackles Mental Health Amid High-Stakes Action Plot
May 13, 2025
Instrumental Music Director Matthew Distante conducts the Wind Orchestra in a rendition of “At the Strongholds of En Gedi” by David Holsinger, an intense and cinematic traditional composition. During the teaching process, Distante said that he emphasizes three key philosophies when it comes to a successful performance: confidence, preparation and focus. “We teach that a lot, and I think that if students are checking all three of those boxes, that's an absolute success of a performance,” Distante said.
“That’s All, Folks!”: Instrumental Music Department Closes the Year with a Cartoon-Inspired Concert
May 12, 2025
Dance Company members and sophomores Seraphine Chen and Sophie Lai choreograph and perform an emotional duet to the song “Streetcars” by Daniel Caesar. Their graceful, fluid moments paint a picture of agony and longing, wowing the audience.
Dance Department Concludes Year on ‘Bittersweet’ Note with Full Audience
May 9, 2025
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