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
Sophomore Suhrith Muvvala and junior Matthew Lin celebrate their first place win in the Ecology event at the awards ceremony of the Wolfpack Invitational. Team A and Team B took first and second place in the event, respectively.

Science Olympiad ‘Writes It and Does It’ at the Wolfpack Invitational

Catherine Li and Ruhi Samudra | December 22, 2023

Science Olympiad placed fifth in their first competition of the season at the Wolfpack Invitational, which took place at Great Oak High on Dec. 16. Competing against 26 other teams from across Southern...

The Ultimate Gift Giving Guide

The Ultimate Gift Giving Guide

Shaina Taebi and Claire Liu | December 22, 2023

English teacher and track coach Cale Kavanaugh who plays Ken was able to embrace a new side of him during this performance and performed prior to Treblemakers “I’m Just Ken”. “My other favorite scene was when I got to steal the presents from Santa, and I accidentally took a couple steps too early,” Kavanaugh said. “I decided to go with it and escalate the moment and make Ken grab Santa by the collar as he was stealing the presents and that was really fun.”

Barbie-tastic ‘Spirit of the Season’ Concert Captivates Audience with its Iconic Dance Moves and Jolly Spirit

Nina Krish, Staff Writer | December 21, 2023

Barbie, Ken, Buddy the elf and Santa lit up the performing arts center as Portola High choir members performed in “The Spirit of the Season '' annual concert held on Dec. 15. The Barbie-themed concert...

Although the stream of assessments may seem endless as 2023 comes to a close, students should become more aware of the stress teachers face. This new perspective can help students take steps to alleviate the pressure on educators’ shoulders and potentially abate the amount of pressure they face during exam season.

You Are Not Alone: Teachers Feel Stressed During Finals Too

Mary Lee, Staff Writer | December 20, 2023

Before the semester officially ends in January, the weeks leading up to finals are packed: students urgently prepare for their cumulative or unit exams and grade-based anxiety is nearly tangible in the...

Despite the 2023 SAG-AFTRA writers’ strike, Hollywood did not fail to deliver a sleigh full of enchanting new holiday films, ensuring that the magic of the season lit up screens with warmth.

‘Snow’ Thank You to These New Christmas Movies

Maitri Allani and Alice Ahn | December 20, 2023

It is the most wonderful time of the year: Christmas time. Studios push out new movies so often that you can find a Christmas movie with any plot imaginable. Considering these holiday films’ overwhelming...

Instead of using Elf on the Shelf as a holiday tradition that constantly watches children, parents should instead teach children the value of kindness and good behavior without attaching it to a creepy elf. “I think in general, you need to convince kids to have integrity themselves, rather than using some device to kind of manipulate them into that,” sophomore Tristan Kim said.

Unveiling the Darker Side of Elf on the Shelf

Sonia Wang and Aditi Salunkhe | December 19, 2023

Telling kids that they are constantly under surveillance and cannot escape the creepy gaze of a home intruder is usually the script of a poorly written 90s horror movie.  Well, guess what happens every...

Juniors Danica Dagdag and Josephine Nguyen study before class on the outside tables. Together, they use the study strategy of collaboration to work on their psychology and math assignments.

Finals Week Flurries: Study Strategies to Make Students’ Spirits Bright

Sky Nguyen and Tara Vatandoust | December 18, 2023

As the season of oversized hoodies and 50-question exams is here, students across Portola High frantically prepare for their semester finals. Whether your worries lie in calculus or English, it may seem...

Though not included in this review, other adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” include “Scrooge” (1970), “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” (1983) and “Barbie in a Christmas Carol” (2008).

Ranking Movie Adaptations of ‘A Christmas Carol’ –– From Curmudgeonly Cynical to Christmas Crowd-Pleaser

Tyler Kim, Co-Editor-in-Chief | December 14, 2023

Few literary works are as associated with the holiday season as Charles Dickens’ timeless classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Unsurprisingly, the 1843 novella has been adapted to the silver screen far...

Portola Singers member and senior Nithila Francis sings as the Symphonic Orchestra plays the musical accompaniment to “The Snowman” animation being projected in the background. Members of the orchestra used headsets and a monitor to stay in tempo with the animation, according to sound board operator and junior Amicus Carrasco. “The click track had allowed the instrumentalists and Mr. Stevens to keep in time with the video and made sure that they kept a consistent tempo because any deviation from the tempo would mess up the entire Snowman portion of the show,” Carrasco said.

‘Twas the Night’ of ‘Projecting’ Holiday Spirit at the Instrumental Concert

Tyler Kim and Cindy Mei | December 13, 2023

As the holiday season approaches, the sound of sleigh bells ringling, tingling and jingling lights up the auditorium with spirit and joy. The Portola High instrumental music department presented the “Twas...

Color Guard is an extreme time commitment, with students giving up mornings for rehearsal, weekends for competitions, and Wednesday afternoons for practice. “Some people say color guard is not a sport, and that it's so easy,” color guard captain and junior Jimin Han said. “I want them to know that I really put my heart and effort into the sport.”

From Practice to Performance: Winter Guard’s Passionate Pursuit of Perfection

Olivia Ganes and Mia Jong | December 12, 2023

As winter’s icy chill settles over the campus, the gymnasium fills with the warmth of vibrant flags and rhythmic music in preparation for the winter guard season — the time when students transform...

Three holiday items from the most popular fast food chains. These seasonal items are here for a limited time only, and are popular among customers.

These Holiday Treats of 2023 Are Un-brrr-ievably Good

Olivia Ganes, Staff Writer | December 7, 2023

During the season of giving, it is not only family and friends who are handing out presents. In early November, the fast-food chains Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and Wendy’s are releasing one of the greatest...

Senior Jeremy Chae sings as sophomore Caleb Shin records his voice with a production software. Despite being the band’s lead vocalist, Chae’s primary instrument was not always voice. “Honestly, I never thought that I would sing,” Chae said. “I thought it was really scary, even though I did play violin. I never really liked the idea of performance.”

Senior Jeremy Chae ‘Blooms’ Christian Music Group Otic Orchid

Maitri Allani and Michael Sun | December 7, 2023

To uplift, to worship and to praise. These three facets are what Christian music group Otic Orchid aims to teach in any of their songs, be it cover or original. Originally spearheaded by senior Jeremy...

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