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
“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
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
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
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Student Art
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
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
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
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
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Arts & Entertainment
“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
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
The album cover of “Hope, Alaska” captures Castelli’s grandfather, who moved to Hope as a young man and built a cabin, as pictured in the photo. Though he never met his grandfather, Castelli appreciated the cabin in the woods that he left for his family.
Ralph Castelli’s New Album “Hope, Alaska” Contains Mountains of Emotion
May 8, 2025
Seniors Alexia Choi and Kiki Yang discuss the script and blocking positions ahead of the rehearsal. Prioritizing communication was essential to solving any problems that arose in the production process, according to Andrews. “One of the biggest issues we’ve had this year, since the advanced tech classes are split into 4th and 6th period, is that we don’t usually communicate well with each other,” Andrews said. “However, many of the problems that arise can be solved with good communication with all parts. Audio talks with lighting to sync up cues, lighting talks to costumes to make sure colors match, costumes talks to props, etc.”
Honors Tech Theater Springs Into Action For the Senior Play
May 8, 2025
2025 marks the 100th anniversary of “The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic exploration of wealth, illusion and the American Dream.
Gatsby’s Centennial: How Fitzgerald’s Modern American Epic Endures
May 2, 2025
“Warfare” was produced on a modest budget of $20 million and has grossed approximately $17.3 million worldwide since its release on April 11. What the film lacks in profitability, it makes up for with positive reviews from critics, holding a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
“Warfare” Offers an Epic Unfiltered Glimpse into the Harsh Reality of Combat
April 29, 2025
The Crochet Corner club presents a booth to sell items crocheted by its members. “People are so nice and supportive,” Crochet Corner president and sophomore Anusha Jauhri said. “I think events like these are so important since it gives opportunities to more art-based clubs to show what they have been working on because sometimes that goes unnoticed.”
A Night to Remember: Portola Artists Shine Bright at Night of the Arts
April 25, 2025
Don't get FOMO From Not Trying BOPOMOFO, Irvine's New Cafe
Don’t get FOMO From Not Trying BOPOMOFO, Irvine’s New Cafe
April 23, 2025
The official album art for The Crux, illustrated by graphic designer Felipe Flores, shows Djo (Joe Keery) leaning out a window, looking down at a surreal street scene below, which is a visual metaphor for the album’s perspective: detached and observant.
“The Crux” Studio Album Encapsulates the Human Experience
April 18, 2025
“A Minecraft Movie” was released on April 4 with a box office gross of $557.7 million, making it the second-highest-grossing film of the year and the second-highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time.
“A Minecraft Movie” Turns a Generational Game Into a Sorry Mess with a Lack of Creative Spirit
April 18, 2025
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Arts & Entertainment