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
Team captain and senior Deyanna Hashemi playfully attempts to steal the ball from utility player and sophomore Isabella ‘Bella’ Detloff. “It helps you, knowing what that person is gonna do and being able to trust them,” Hashemi said. “If I pass to Bella, I know she's not going to lose the ball. She's gonna make a good pass or shoot it.”

‘Diving’ into Friendship: How These Girls’ Water Polo Passing Partners Bond In and Out of the Water

Alice Ahn and Kayley Winata | January 23, 2024

In team sports like water polo, the key is not individual success but rather the cohesive communication shared among players. We interviewed duo, utility player and sophomore Alexis ‘Lexi’ Minasyan...

U.S. House of Representatives member Mike Levin (CA-49) awards seniors Zonglin Zhang and Terry You (rightmost) for their app, Ember, which aims to help youth feel more open in conversing about mental health. Although Ember is still being refined and not available on the app store yet, it can be viewed on the U.S. House of Representatives’ website, in the U.S. Capitol Building or requested for a demonstration, according to Zhang.

Seniors Terry You and Zonglin Zhang Help Teen Mental Health with Congressional App Challenge Winner ‘Ember’

Catherine Li and Ruhi Samudra | January 19, 2024

From learning coding as a hobby to having their skills recognized on the national level, seniors Terry You and Zonglin Zhang and their teammates, Santa Margarita Catholic High seniors Jingwen Mao and Liam...

Senior Nithila Francis sings “Warrior” by Demi Lovato. Most of her extracurriculars involve singing, so she wanted to perform an activity that she was the most comfortable with, according to Francis.

Creating a Performance Opportunity: Students Showcase their Skills in the Talent Show

Stephanie Hwang, Assistant News Editor | January 19, 2024

Full of music, singing, dancing and laughter, the talent show created an opportunity for talented musicians to shine on Jan. 11. This year’s show included more performers who did not already take...

Goalie and freshman Chantal Alexander kicks the ball back into the playing field after Northwood High’s soccer team tries to score a goal. “She is a little more aggressive, a little bit more dynamic. Every game she has grown, so she has a bright future at Portola,” head girls soccer coach Joshua Stringer said.

Girls’ Soccer Goalie and Freshman Chantal Alexander Defends Her Way to Success

Maitri Allani and Claire Chan | January 18, 2024

The swoosh of a ball. The slap of hand in an effort to block. Varsity girl’s soccer goalie and freshman Chantal Alexander lunges for the ball as the opposing team attempts to score.  Alexander started...

Clubs would greatly benefit from being offered a second chance to restart their clubs in second semester. “I think that allowing these clubs to have a second chance would help them appreciate their culture and their passions, and allow students to draw closer and to keep some continuity in our own likes and values,” president of the Black Student Union and senior Gabe Mutsvangwa said.

Clubs Should Be Given a Second Chance in Second Semester

Shaina Taebi and Marianne Chan | January 18, 2024

Clubs are often deemed an essential aspect of the high school community. The wide range of clubs at Portola High provide students with various opportunities, both academic and nonacademic, to explore a...

ROP Career Specialist Gage Peterson sits at a table that the counseling office set up during lunch on Jan. 12 to give students information about Coastline ROP. Peterson said ROP courses are great opportunities for all kinds of students, from those who have a specific trade or vocation in mind for their futures to those who want to explore new fields and interests or prepare for a preferred subject of study at a four-year university. Opportunities to interact with students and staff like this are what have shaped Peterson’s experiences at Portola High so far. “It's just been a great, great place to learn and train and see how to best serve students — by learning from the counselors that are here and then also the students,” Peterson said.

Meet Our Staff’s Newest Bulldog: ROP Career Specialist Gage Peterson

Cindy Mei and Maya Tedini | January 17, 2024

Not everyone walks the same path of life after high school. For when many students seek guidance when preparing for their future, new staff member and ROP Career Specialist Gage Peterson comes in. Peterson...

Junior Charles Pan takes a photo with his family in Japan and recharges to expel stress obtained from school. “Winter break is an opportunity for me to make new memories, experience new sights and get myself ready for the new year,” Pan said.

Flying Into the New Year: How These Three Students Started the Year Exploring New Destinations With Family

Stephanie Hwang and Hannah Ko | January 17, 2024

For students stressed after finals, winter break is not only a well-deserved rest but also an opportunity to visit new places during the holidays. Whether it is exploring new cities, reconnecting with...

Unconscious biases can affect anyone, including teachers, according to social studies teacher Shameemah Motala. Though she did not use anonymous grading at first, grading for the AP exams taught her to implement anonymous methods into her own class.

It’s Time to Start Evening Out the ‘Grading’ Field

Michael Sun and Elizabeth Gao | January 17, 2024

It seems rudimentary: make a good first impression.  After all, the human mind is quick to make judgments on attractiveness, likability and trustworthiness within seconds of seeing someone for the...

The International Friendship Club hosts meetings every second Tuesday of the month and organizes meetings in accordance with national heritage months and Children’s International Summer Villages (CISV) representative schedules. “It’s important to create these connections because our world is currently so divided,” co-founder, club president and sophomore Chole Grace Chen said. “We want our club as a safe space where everyone from different cultures can be able to freely express themselves.”

Friendship through Food: International Friendship Club Creates Community by Sharing Cultures

Olivia Ganes and Mia Jong | January 16, 2024

Food is universal: it has the power to transcend cultural boundaries and unite people regardless of their background. Members of the International Friendship Club use food to forge connections and gain...

Baseball has skyrocketed in popularity to become one of the most popular sports in Japan. Ohtani’s meteoric rise has become a source of national pride for many people, with his remarkable abilities captivating fans worldwide. “I don't think he's a regular human being, and I think he's incredibly remarkable that he could perform at such a high level,” Dodger fan and social studies teacher Jon Resendez said. “What I love about sports in general, though this is just a baseball example, is that sports have the power to break down a lot of these barriers that we create between ourselves and our communities.”

Breaking Bats and Barriers: Shohei Ohtani Redefines America’s Pastime

Mia Jong, Centerspread Editor | January 12, 2024

In America’s greatest pastime, one player has stepped up to the plate, not only swinging for the fences but also shattering cultural barriers — Shohei Ohtani. He has turned the baseball diamond into...

Art projects can add a splash of color to coursework that is otherwise considered mundane or repetitive, increasing students’ enjoyment in the class. Visual arts teacher Mat Pace says that giving students’ chances for original artistry can enrich learning experiences and provide balance in more arduous classes. “Taking a break from a heavy math class would be nice to just focus on a spectrum of color or something that's so different than what they're doing,” visual arts teacher Mat Pace said. “We can put a mathematical equation in almost anything as well, so maybe when they're thinking about that art project they’re thinking how math relates to that.”

Teachers Should Liven Up Regular Coursework with Creative Art Projects

Parmin Zamani and Jordan Hata | January 12, 2024

Art projects, a way for students to express their creativity and take a break from the never-ending flow of homework, essays and other types of projects that typically make up most of a student’s course...

Junior Giselle Lu performs her last solo piece in her synchronized swimming career in Guangdong’s state competition in August 2020. Lu swims to Two Steps From Hell’s “Archangel,” and it took many months to master the solo routine. After Lu received 0 points in one of her figures, Lu said she was unmotivated to compete in the solo event because she thought she could not make up for the mistake. “I think the story of this piece defines and represents the art of synchronized swimming — the perfect combination of strength and grace,” Lu said. “It shows that women can be both beautiful but still have their own masculine side.”

China’s National Synchronized Swimmer Giselle Lu Makes ‘Figures’ in Irvine

Kayleen Kim and Kelly Yeh | January 10, 2024

Eight years ago in China, junior Giselle Lu watched China’s national synchronized swimming team on the local news. After being inspired by their graceful and fluid yet rapid and calculated movements,...

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