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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

Global Badminton Academy athlete and freshman Josh Xu lunges down to attack the shuttlecock at a tournament in Frisco, Texas on Jan 16. “I always want to do good in my tournaments and avoid falling down,” Xu said. “It’s really easy for a badminton player to fall down at some point. Sometimes when I lose, I become a little depressed, but I still try to be positive and go train.”

Freshman Josh Xu’s Badminton Journey is a ‘Smashing’ Success

Aditi Salunkhe and Alice Ahn | June 5, 2024

Whether it’s a sports game or a particular school subject, there is typically one activity that tops every student’s list as their absolute favorite. For Global Badminton Academy athlete and freshman...

Casting people of color in media is beneficial in providing representation and telling diverse stories, according to math teacher Jessica Torres. As a first-generation Mexican-American, she feels inspired by Hispanic influencers sharing their stories online and hopes to see future popular media reflect diverse experiences.

Swapping the Roles: Disney Should Continue Casting POC in Live-Action Remakes

Camille Clement and Catherine Li | June 4, 2024

A new trend in Disney’s filmmaking may cause beloved classic films to appear increasingly foreign to older generations. Instead of seeing familiar faces in the new live-action remakes of Disney’s older...

Mares demonstrates his lettering while patrolling the campus. “[Calligraphy] wasn’t like baseball or football,” Mares said. “I just liked it. It’s kind of just one of those things that you can relax with.”

Meet our Campus Control Calligraphy Connoisseur: George Mares

Mia Jong and Catherine Li | June 3, 2024

Whiteboards across campus have curly lines and feather-like strokes, culminating into elegantly shaped letters nestled neatly into their corners. However, these delicate strokes were not created by...

Many of head baseball coach Bryan Resnick's videos have received millions of views, being a platform to connect with people from different states. “I put out a video about how to hit a home run, and I just started seeing it getting shared and shared and shared and just snowballed,” Resnick said. “I’m really most proud of just being able to build something that people enjoy.”

Home Plate Humor: Baseball Coach Resnick Mixes Comedy and Content Creation

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | May 30, 2024

Head baseball coach and PE teacher Bryan Resnick created his YouTube channel Domingo Ayala in 2009 as a casual hobby with friends in the dugout. Now, with over 223,000 subscribers and a total of 42 million...

S4 Episode 04: Turning Pages: Exploring Summer Reads with Three Portola High English Teachers

Tyler Kim, Catherine Li, and Claire Liu | May 29, 2024

As we approach the end of the school year, co-hosts Tyler Kim, Catherine Li and Claire Liu examine what books a few Portola High teachers will be reading over the summer.   Music credits: Piano...

Detective Roland (Jason Wu Chen) suffers a nervous breakdown after being thwarted by kleptomaniac Shalia (senior Sanika Nihalani) once again. In a Q&A after the play, Wu Chen said that he added an element of improvisation to the scene when he spontaneously hurled his cigar lighter into the airport wall.

Honors Ensemble Play “Gate F-10” Takes Off for the Last Time

Marianne Chan and Elizabeth Gao | May 29, 2024

Whistles and cheers greeted the cast of Honors Theater Ensemble during their last performance at the Black Box Theater on May 16. “Gate F-10,” self-written and performed by the all-senior class,...

Written with her brother FINNEAS, Billie Eilish’s third studio album “Hit Me Hard and Soft” delves into her perception of self, love and happiness, providing her audience a raw look into her thoughts and emotions.

Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft” Dives Into Vulnerability and Reflection

Camille Clement and Kelly Yeh | May 28, 2024

Billie Eilish’s album “Hit Me Hard and Soft” released on May 17. The album is composed of 10 songs, including “LUNCH” and “CHIHIRO,” which were leaked before the release and captivated listeners...

Boys’ volleyball sibling duo Jayce and Jett Fukuda smile before a varsity game last year. “I think that was really cool because having so many people there to watch me and my brother because we're so lucky to be on the same team at that time,” junior Jayce Fukuda said. “That was really special and important to me.”

Junior Jayce Fukuda Uses Sibling Inspiration to Fuel Volleyball Success

Elise Ngo and Madeline Chung | May 28, 2024

From Venus and Serena Williams to Steph and Seth Curry, sibling duos in sports are famously recognized. At Portola High, boys’ volleyball had one sibling duo dominating opponents on the courts: junior...

Local community colleges, including Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, as well as the University of California system, use Canvas as their primary learning management system. Thus, in order to prepare students for higher education, Canvas should be implemented early on in students’ careers.

Full-Fledged Learning Management Systems Benefit Everyone: Why Canvas Triumphs Google Classroom

Michael Sun and Maitri Allani | May 22, 2024

At Portola High, Google Classroom and Canvas are the two main learning management systems (LMS) students use to submit assignments, look over course agendas and access other important resources essential...

As time progresses, the spotlight on mental health intensifies, illuminating the pervasive stigma that continues to cause difficulties for those in need. It's time to rewrite this narrative, to embrace empathy over stigma and to create a community where mental well-being is a shared priority.

It’s Time to Destigmatize the Meaning of Mental Health

Sky Nguyen and Elizabeth Gao | May 21, 2024

In today’s fast-paced world, there is growing recognition of the impact that mental health has on our overall well-being. Although, despite the prevalence there continues to be a stigma that surrounds...

Softball poses together after their senior night game, getting ready to eat out together per tradition. “I’m going to miss the people,” outfielder and senior Smira Sonthalia said. “I really love my teammates, and the only reason why I love softball so much is really because of the people that I'm with every day, so I'm really going to miss that team energy and that family. My second family, basically.”

Close-knit Softball Athletes ‘Team’ Together with Friendship

Stephanie Hwang and Mary Lee | May 20, 2024

Though most athletes form close bonds through practices and games, softball bats bonding experiences out of the park. Their infectious, positive energy not only comes from their on-the-field teamwork but...

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