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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

Junior and chief communications officer Jasmine Davis and senior and accounting representative Saanvi Mekala present their board to convince other students to buy their products for their mock company Wella, which sells health products to teenagers.

Virtual Enterprise Competes and Wins at Trade Show

Maitri Allani, Staff Writer | December 14, 2022

Virtual Enterprise won second place for its elevator pitch and radio commercial and third for its ecommerce website at a trade show held at San Diego State University on Dec. 2. This is the first time...

Students cheer on their favorite soccer teams to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Countries in the top rankings, such as France, Morocco, Argentina and Portugal, compete for the prestigious championship title. The tournament has generated record-breaking audiences globally with an average viewership of 227.27 million per day, according to NBC Sports.

Students ‘Kick’ Back and Relax to Root for their Favorite World Cup Teams

Aditi Salunkhe | December 13, 2022

The school environment has grown fervent with talk of shockingly-made goals, close matches and students’ favorite players. As the top-ranked soccer teams from around the world enter the quarter-final...

Students and workers gather at Berkeley, California to protest unfair wages and working conditions as part of a larger UC-wide strike.

Ongoing UC Strikes Create Higher Education Academics History

Hannah Ko | December 12, 2022

Nearly 48,000 education workers across University of California’s 10 campuses have been protesting for higher wages and fairer working conditions since Nov. 14, making it the largest higher education...

With a brand new and exciting journey for the math teacher, Alewine, Jennings, and Todd all express their appreciation for each other. “I would say it’s all fun, and we’re all close,” Alewine said. “We all can talk about different pregnancy things when we get together. It's like ‘What are you craving? How are you surviving? Are you tired? Have you had this doctor appointment?”

These Math Teachers are About to Have ‘Acute’ Children

Ruhi Samudra and Shaina Taebi | December 9, 2022

Math teachers Sarah Alewine, Samantha Jennings and Kayla Todd are all having their babies next year. Both Jennings and Todd are going to be first-time parents while this will be Alewine’s second child.  Throughout...

During the Invierno Del Sur winter concert on Dec. 1, senior Jayden Yeung dazzles the crowd with his violin as he plays a lively melody from “La Primavera,” a movement from “The Four Seasons,” while Symphonic Orchestra provides a musical accompaniment for his solo.

Experience ‘The Four Seasons’ with these Orchestra Soloists

Madeline Chung, Business Manager | December 8, 2022

As the orchestra began to play, an energetic, sweet melody filled the theater, captivating the audience members as they listened intently to the harmonious tunes and fast tempo. Impressing the crowd, junior...

Oh My Ghods Pottery owner and recurring seller at the market Sarah Ghods describes her small business and draws in shoppers with her display of handmade ceramics.

Small Businesses Exhibit Imaginative Products at the Woodbury Town Center

Maya Tedini and Parmin Zamani | December 7, 2022

Dozens of small business owners gather to showcase and sell their products at the main palm tree lined street in Woodbury Town Center throughout the second weekend of every month. From handmade jewelry...

Sophomore Brandon Phomsavanh stops at the middle of the Moro Ridge Road trail in Crystal Cove State Park during one of many mountain bike rides with his father, Lee Phomsavanh.

Mountain Biker Brandon Phomsavanh Trails up to New Heights

Maya Tedini and Parmin Zamani | December 7, 2022

At the early age of 12, sophomore Brandon Phomsavanh’s passion for mountain biking ignited. From that point on, his many hours spent steering his way through long, bumpy trails encouraged growth in several...

SSP alumna and senior Lindsey Ko sets up materials in preparation for the enzyme lab experiments with her lab group on the campus of Indiana University, according to Ko. “It was a great chance to explore both biology and chemistry in a way that's not just learning in a classroom,” Ko said.

Developing Passions STEMs from Intensive Summer Programs

Madeline Chung, Business Manager | December 6, 2022

The comforting thought of summer break brings utter relief to students who work hard throughout the school year. However, for some students, summer is a valuable time to explore interests in STEM and...

Senior Jadyn Zdanavage Commits to UMich Track and Cross Country Teams

Senior Jadyn Zdanavage Commits to UMich Track and Cross Country Teams

Tara Vatandoust | December 2, 2022

Applying to college can feel like a marathon: the seemingly endless hours of meticulous preparation, the grueling ordeal itself, the giddy rush of adrenaline when it all comes together. Senior Jadyn...

Giselle (Amy Adams) and Malvina (Maya Rudolph) see each other eye to eye as villainess opponents in Disney’s new “Disenchanted” film, the sequel to “Enchanted.”

‘Disenchanted’ Takes a Detour from Being Enchanting

Sidra Asif and Claire Chan | December 1, 2022

Sequels can often be a hit or miss, but can always attract fans that love the original movie. Fifteen years after the movie “Enchanted” came out, Disney released the sequel “Disenchanted” on Nov....

S3 Episode 02: Seasonal Depression: What Does It Look Like and How Can You Cope With It?

S3 Episode 02: Seasonal Depression: What Does It Look Like and How Can You Cope With It?

Celine Lee and Tyler Kim | November 30, 2022

The Portola Pioneer is the official news and culture podcast of the Portola Pilot, aiming to foster a sense of community and provide a unique storytelling medium to its listeners. With the...

England’s cricket team celebrates joyously as they win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final against Pakistan at Melbourne Stadium on Nov. 17.

England Bats Their Way to ‘Six’ess in the T20 Cricket Final

Maitri Allani and Claire Chan | November 30, 2022

The ICC Men's T20 World Cup held its match finals on Nov. 17 at Melbourne Ground. In their entrance to the T20 finals, England defeated India in the semifinals by a landslide of 10 wickets. “Since...

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