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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

The cheer squad gathered at 10 a.m. on finals day to review score sheets and proceed to compete at 2:20 p.m. for a national ranking.

Cheer Flies Its Way to Fourth at Nationals

Julia Kim and Simrat Singh | March 26, 2018

A blur of purple and silver flashed before the audience as JV cheer competed at the USA Spirit Nationals in Anaheim, California, where they placed 4th in Large JV Show Cheer Novice category out of fifteen...

The four-leaf clover is a rare charm that most people associate with St. Patrick’s Day, but underneath the popularity is a rich and complicated history.

Debunking the History and Mystery Behind the Four-Leaf Clover

Anthony Chan and Annie Qiao | March 24, 2018

From posters and merchandise to company logos and tattoos, the white clover, more commonly known as the four-leaf clover, is the primary symbol of St. Patrick’s Day. The rare four-leaf form of the white...

As the opening routine for the second day of Fine Arts Week, Dance 2 and Company performed their collaboration piece, including a mashup of Jason Derulo and Jax Jones.

Continuing the Second Day of Fine Arts Week On Pointe with the Dance Department

Ava Caleca, Staff Writer | March 22, 2018

Dance Company, Dance 1 and Dance 2 performed during lunch for Fine Arts Week, their show featured two dances in front of the administration building. The dance team’s performances included throwbacks...

Athlete of the Month: Justin Pai

Athlete of the Month: Justin Pai

Maryam Shama, Opinion Editor | March 22, 2018

Grade: Freshman Sport and Level: Varsity Swimming     Years Playing: 8 Favorite Moment in a Meet: “When I won fourth in the 100 breaststroke at Junior Olympics when I was 12; it was my first...

Why Student Drivers Should not be Allowed to Drive

Why Student Drivers Should not be Allowed to Drive

Jordan Lee and Dylan Thakarar | March 22, 2018

The current age for teens to get a license is 16. The ability to drive gives teenagers the freedom to transport themselves across town, as well as alleviate stress from their parents’ busy schedules....

Freshman Kelthie Truong holds a sign that says “#NeverAgain,” while freshman Kristen Ok keeps track of the 17 minutes as she reads off the names of those killed in the Florida shooting.

Students Protest in National School Walkout

Maya Sabbaghian, Co-Editor-In-Chief | March 21, 2018

About 200 students left their classrooms at 10 a.m. to participate in the National School Walkout on March 14, marking the one-month anniversary of the shooting in Parkland, Florida. These students are...

Prior to freshman Grace Wen’s presentation and interview, co-president and freshman Jenny Won quizzes Wen with pre-written and carefully-crafted possible interview questions.

History Buffs Display Strengths at History Competition

Annie Qiao and John Xie | March 21, 2018

Six members of National History Day (NHD) Club have been working diligently since November of last year to prepare for the yearly NHD-OC competition hosted at the Orange County Department of Education...

Sophomores Roy Bae, Mackenzie Topete and Winston Yi perform “Galop”, a song filled with fast rhythmic beats on their unique wind instruments.

Fine Arts Week Starting Off with a Symphonic Boom

Shawyan Rooein and Nathan Oh | March 21, 2018

Fine Arts Week started strong with a thrilling performance from Symphonic Band on March 19 at lunch in the outdoor theater. Visual and Performing Arts department chair Desmond Stevens led the group in...

Editorial: Popular Vote is the Popular Choice

Editorial: Popular Vote is the Popular Choice

March 21, 2018

ASB has made a decision to change the school’s election from a popular vote to an Election Convention. We believe that the school should revert back to popular vote because of the flaws of the Election...

A small group of dancers consisting of sophomores Miranda Wang, Julia Kim, Frances Ning and Paris Zhuang and freshmen Eric Hao and Kate Dang and complete their routine inspired by the official music video for the hit K-pop song “Mic Drop” by BTS. As the theater fades to black, Dang ends the performance by dropping a microphone, imitating the iconic final move that gives the song its title.

Spring Dance Concert Breaks Ground for Dance Program

Annie Qiao, Co-Editor-in-Chief | March 20, 2018

All eyes are drawn to the graceful, synchronized dancers contoured by colorful stage lighting and the darkness of the theater. Each dazzling flash of movement with the pulse of the music has the crowd...

Students use resources from the Innovation Lab to construct a graph located on the polar plane.
Sophomore Nicholas Delianedis works on the beginning of his project by using nails.

Students Study by Stitching String Shapes

Lauren Kettner, Copy Editor | March 20, 2018

Honors Pre-Calculus students created string art projects representing their studies in polar coordinates visually by using tools in the Innovation Lab from Mar. 1-2. “I wanted to use the Innovation...

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