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
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

Alice Ahn and Catherine Li | May 2, 2025

This year marks 100 years of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” a sub-200-page novel that has dazzled classrooms, culture and conversation for a century. To this day, Gatsby’s green light...

Junior Keyan Park performs a calculated pitch as he attempts to strike out the batter. “If you just stay confident in those times during a rough game, you can realize your mistakes, and you can learn from them, and then just move on,” Park said.

The Art of Pitching: What Makes Keyan Park Unhittable

Tamara Bradley and Nicole Ferguson | May 2, 2025

From the ripe age of 10, junior Keyan Park found his passion in pitching after several years of playing baseball. As Park continued his way through the art of pitching, his confidence and determination...

Skateboarding may come as a solo sport for some, but behind most skaters is a story shaped by family, friends and the people they ride with. “The first time I ever tried skateboarding was with some family friends,” sophomore Khonsu Marshall said. “They made doing tricks look so effortless, and that’s what initially drew me to it, despite the fact that most tricks are actually very difficult to learn. I borrowed my first skateboard from the family friends I mentioned before. I’m not sure where they got it from, but the paint splatter design on the back interested me. It was very easy to maneuver, and riding it felt very smooth.”

Concrete Waves: Skateboarders Who Ride the Rhythm of the Streets

Tamara Bradley, Staff Writer | May 2, 2025

 

A student places their phone in the designated classroom chart. With California schools cracking down on phone use, tools like these help minimize distractions and promote a more respectful, focused learning environment.

Hands Off Your Phones: Redefining Classroom Culture at Portola High

Alice Ahn and Kelly Yeh | May 2, 2025

The class period begins, but many students remain glued to their phones. A teacher’s lecture is met with blank stares and whispered side conversations. In classrooms, students should go beyond basic...

“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

Aditi Salunkhe, Co-News Editor | April 29, 2025

“Warfare,” directed by Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, was released in theaters on April 11. This gritty war film offers a real-time depiction of a 2006 Navy SEAL mission in Ramadi,...

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

Sruti Allani, Staff Writer | April 25, 2025

The baseball and softball teams’ have two coyotes each that are used to maintain the field after every game. Their permanent stances and realistic features discourage pests and manage wildlife on the field, being a long-term and low-maintenance solution that was first implemented in the fall of 2024, according to baseball coach and PE teacher Brian Resnick.

Coyote Statues Guard the Baseball and Softball Diamonds with ‘Fur-vor’

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | April 21, 2025

Prowling across the field, guarding with steely eyes and forever stuck in a state of suspended motion — these are the team statue coyotes. Amidst chalk lines and dugouts, these lifelike coyotes stand...

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

Aditi Salunkhe, Co-News Editor | April 18, 2025

Singer and songwriter Joe Keery, known for playing Steve Harrington on the hit show “Stranger Things,” steps further into his musical persona Djo with his third studio album, “The Crux,” released...

“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

Aditi Salunkhe, Co-News Editor | April 18, 2025

The highly anticipated cinematic tribute to an iconic video game, “A Minecraft Movie” was released in theaters on April 4. However, instead of a creative homage to one of the most iconic games of our...

American rapper, singer and producer 2hollis just released his fourth album, “star.” It is a bright and exhilarating new chapter of the artist’s fame.

A Rising ‘Star’ Just Dropped the ‘Flashiest’ Album

Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | April 16, 2025

American rapper, singer and producer 2hollis just dropped his fourth album, “star,” on April 4. His esoteric beats, a supernova of emotions,  distinguish him from other producers. This new album tells...

Freshman Jake Wang, sophomore Frances Lee, sophomore Marley Willis, junior Miranda Perdomo, sophomore Claire Kim, sophomore Lauren Slade, junior Justin Tokko, junior Blayze Borroto, freshman Bravo Borroto, freshman Carter Lo, junior Kesin Jayakumar and junior Jamie Youn pose for a group photo after the 2025-26 ASB elected positions are announced. “I think ASB constantly asks students to look beyond themselves, to think about the school community, not just their own experience, and what's best for the group or what's fun for the group,” ASB director and social studies teacher Emily Sheridan said.

ASB Election Convention Ramps Up Student Civic Engagement

Marianne Chan, Assistant Opinion Editor | April 14, 2025

ASB hosted its annual Election Convention on March 28 in the theater to determine ASB elected positions for the 2025-2026 school year. Aside from the preliminaries for the Spirit and Rally commissioners,...

Senior Abbey Reichard drives a vintage Ford pickup truck, Betty, named after a family favorite song, “Black Betty” by Ram Jam. Sourcing an old truck was challenging, but Reichard and her family remained determined; they flew to Arizona last summer to test-drive Betty, made the purchase, then drove her back to California. “You think it’d be easier because nobody wants old trucks,” Reichard said. “But we were searching from March all the way to June. Luckily, one of my mom’s friend’s husbands actually sells old cars, so we were able to find this one.”

‘Driven’ by Expression: How Cars Become Students’ Personal Spaces

Alice Ahn, A&E Editor | April 9, 2025

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