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
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

Suhana Kaur, Staff Writer | May 27, 2025

Family, friends and music lovers came out to celebrate the culmination of a year of pop music students’ hard work at Portola High’s sixth annual Porchella on May 15 and 16. Like past years, the...

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

Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | May 26, 2025

As marching band begins their pre-season activities for the 2025 field season, the blares of horns, chirps of flutes and sound of flags fluttering in the air can be heard again. Members look forward to...

Physics teacher Ryan Johnson speaks to junior Chloe Chen about the AP Physics and Engineering boat project outside the engineering classroom. In his new classes, Digital Electronics and Honors Engineering Design and Development, Johnson is excited for more hands-on projects. “We'll be able to create products that are directly relevant to society's needs, as opposed to practicing doing something which is what most high schoolers are doing,” Johnson said.

New Year, New Classes: Teachers Introduce Course Changes

Senna Kahf, Staff Writer | May 23, 2025

From policy to programming, several teachers are swapping out their usual lesson plans for fresh opportunities in the classroom next year, bringing in new subjects and student experiences. Social studies...

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’

Zoha Syed, Staff Writer | May 23, 2025

English singer-songwriter and producer PinkPantheress released her second mixtape, “Fancy That,” on May 8. The project features nine tracks, each highlighting PinkPantheress’ British upbringing through...

Before his event, senior Brian Nguyen stretches as he prepares to dive into the pool during one of his last meets and opportunities to bond with his swim teammates. “I feel like I've grown more out of the pool, and learning to be a part of a team that really bonds with each other well. And you know, we all hang out. We're good friends,” Nguyen said.

Portola Swim Seniors ‘Splash’ into College

Annie Xiao, Staff Writer | May 23, 2025

After countless practices and exhilarating meets, Portola High's varsity swim seniors prepare to dive into the next chapter of their swim careers as college-bound athletes. This year, seniors Tiffany...

The Envirothon Club's leadership team poses in front of a sign at the NCF-Envirothon tournament in Riverside. “The goal of the Envirothon competition is to learn about natural resource conservation and what we can do to protect the environment,” said Lizardo. “The biggest part of the competition is presenting the plan that would help the natural environment.”

Envirothon Club: Introducing the Eco-friendly Club Cultivating Portola’s Passion for the Environment

May 22, 2025

“I didn’t expect to be shouting tree species’ names at 7 a.m., but that’s how the Envirothon competition began,” freshman Luna Kim said. Making an impact, the Portola Envirothon Club made...

Senior Shifa Harsolia walks along the beach with her surfboard during a PHS Surf and Snow Club meetup. “There's definitely a learning curve for surfing and getting over that hump is when you really enjoy it,” Harsolia said. “And it's hard at first, but if you just stay mentally present and keep going, it becomes much more rewarding.”

Making Waves: Meet the Bulldogs Who Surf

Marianne Chan, Assistant Opinion Editor | May 22, 2025

Between juggling school work and extracurriculars, three Bulldogs find time to ride the waves outside of school. For some, surfing is a weekend hobby; for others, it's a way to stay active — but...

Students should try to stop discussing academics to promote a more positive learning environment for their peers.

Don’t Be Nosy — Keep Academics to Yourself

Kayley Winata, Centerspread Editor | May 21, 2025

“What’s your SAT? What did you get on the last test? What colleges are you applying to?” These are some of the many academically oriented questions that Portola High students hear daily. Comparing...

While in the development of a variety of students’ passion projects, many have learned the importance of planning out each of the details. “[When starting a passion project,] just get a base idea,” said sophomore Ava Lily Sunga. “Think it out before you actually start, so you can prepare to actually go on the journey to making it a thing.”

Building Dreams After Hours: Portola Students’ Passion Projects

Tamara Bradley, Staff Writer | May 20, 2025

Passion projects are more than just hobbies: they are personal pursuits that reflect a person’s creativity and interests. Whether it be a podcast or a non-profit organization, these self-driven...

Despite the scrutiny that Harvard University has been facing from the Trump’s administration’s threat to withdraw funding, many students are taking a stand with Harvard president Alan Garber, according to CNN US. In their fight to maintain academic freedom, students have gathered in rallies on Harvard’s campus to protest. "Schools aren't simply institutions for learning, but also where students talk about values, current events and ideas,” sophomore Aarohi Kshemkkalyani said. “As political issues reach more of the younger generation through social media and increased youth interest, it is not surprising that schools become a part of the conversation. It is crucial that schools allow for respectful dialogue, creating safe spaces for students without any outside political pressures.”

Harvard Pushes Back: University Rejects Trump’s Administration’s Policies

Tamara Bradley and Nicole Ferguson | May 19, 2025

On April 14, Harvard president Alan Garber claimed that he will be rejecting demands from President Donald Trump’s administration to regulate campus culture, facing a withdrawal of $9 billion from research...

Almquist Development’s rendering of a grasstop area in The Canopy shows simulated people exploring the area with their families. “One of the things that we like to cater to are kids and families in creating these really nice outdoor areas where people can hang out, get something to eat [or] get something to drink,” Vice President of Almquist Development Tom Carpenter said. “Kids can run and play and be outside, and everybody can enjoy themselves.”

Plans to Expand: Great Park Brings New Retail and Dining to Residents

Marianne Chan, Assistant Opinion Editor | May 17, 2025

The Great Park unveiled plans to develop new major areas, including The Canopy—a planned retail and dining center—in its State of the Great Park event on May 7. Designed to bring together residents...

Social studies teacher Virginia Nguyen uses her social media platform to promote her non-profit, Educate to Empower, as well as share her classroom values. “If you want to know who I am, how I navigate and live my life, my classroom teacher self, my nonprofit director self, my mom self, my friends self, my daughter self, [the account] is very much who I am,” Nguyen said. “When they look at the social media, I hope that authenticity comes through where students are like, ‘Oh, that's so Ms. Nguyen.’” Photos Courtesy of Virgina Nguyen, Otto Lopez and Kearci Thompson.

Posting with Purpose: Teachers Redefine Instagram as a Platform for Connection

Dania Yamani and Senna Kahf | May 16, 2025

While others chase virality on social media, these teachers are using Instagram not for likes, but for creating lasting impacts on students and educators alike. Visual arts teacher Kaerci Thompson created...

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