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
To add the final component of her look for prom, senior Rithu Madhyanam carefully applies lipstick while looking in the mirror.

Getting the Party Started Before Prom: Activities Bulldogs Planned Prior to the Dance

Kayley Winata and Kelly Yeh | May 9, 2024

Senior Ernest Lin takes on one of the hardest routes the indoor rock climbing gym Sender One Climbing has to offer, which is where he often spends his free time to build strength and resilience.

Senior Ernest Lin Conquers Heights One Climb at a Time

Elise Ngo and Madeline Chung | May 8, 2024

On campus, students are constantly encouraged by teachers to push their limits in pursuit of academic success. But senior Ernest Lin takes scaling heights beyond the classroom through rock climbing, challenging...

The banner of the village and the Seven Samurai, which serves as a symbol of hope for the protagonists.

Seven Samurai: A Japanese Classic 70 Years On

Jordan Hata, Staff Writer | May 6, 2024

It is undeniable that Japanese culture has had an influence on the rest of the world through anime, film, television, customs and more. Out of all of them though, one film stands out in particular: “Seven...

Senior Yunxin Tao and sophomore Aditya Nair manufacture t-shirts for Portola Printing, Portola High's first ever business. “Sometimes after school, we have a little party with about five to 10 students, heat pressing and folding and quality checking,” business teacher Katherine Dillon. “The next day, we count the orders and make sure we have all the right sizes, all the right numbers [to] make sure they're all good and then we just go deliver it to the classrooms.”

‘Pressing’ On: Portola Printing Makes Progress In Business Goals

Marianne Chan and Alice Ahn | May 6, 2024

As detailed by the Portola Pilot at the start of this school year, students in Portola High’s Small Business Management class formed Portola Printing, the school’s first T-shirt business. As the year...

Boys’ lacrosse huddles after the first quarter as the coaches briefly run through the plays of the game. “Let’s do the best we can because for some of us this is the last time we’ll ever play,” head coach Michael Harriger said.

Boys’ Lacrosse Raises Valiant Fight Against Woodbridge High During Final Game

Claire Liu, Staff Writer | May 3, 2024

Boys’ lacrosse (4-14) lost to Woodbridge High 2-18 in an away game on April 24. Despite the loss, their spirits ran strong as the team finished the season and focused on building off a hard-won 8-6...

Junior Luke Porter and senior Mathias Lee committed to the Naval Academy, and junior Abby Miller committed to the Air Force Academy to pursue their passions and desire to serve their country. “I'm honestly super excited to work in the military after graduating,” Miller said. “I know that might be a weird thing to say, but that is something that kind of drew me to the military academies: it’s knowing that after I graduate, I have a job for at least five years. I honestly think that jobs in the military are just so incredible, and they're so honorable. I don't really want an office job and being in the military is definitely kind of a way to find a job with a larger purpose.”

Answering the Call to Command: Meet Three Military Academy Commits

Hannah Ko and Maya Tedini | May 3, 2024

In a convergence of athleticism, patriotism and leadership, a trio embarks on a journey as they commit to prestigious military academies. Junior Luke Porter and senior Mathias Lee committed to the United...

Taylor Swift’s 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” is a melancholic reflection of Swift’s identity and past relationships. This album is arguably more dreamy compared to Swift’s previous ones, going along with the “Folklore” style with a more synth-pop vibe.

Taylor Swift Proves She “Can Do It With a Broken Heart” in Eleventh Studio Album

Claire Chan and Maitri Allani | May 2, 2024

Taylor Swift’s double album “The Tortured Poets Department” and “The Anthology,” released on April 19. The album is composed of 31 songs total, with 16 songs on “The Tortured Poets Department”...

Attacker and sophomore Olivia Ganes scoops the ball and cradles it through two players from Irvine High. Ganes was able to play more aggressively during this game, according to head girls’ lacrosse coach Julie Primero. “Olivia scoring three goals was crazy,” utility player and sophomore Claire Hsin said. “I'm super proud of her for that.”

Girls’ Lacrosse Uses Adaptive Strategy to Secure Victory Against Irvine High

Sky Nguyen and Kelly Yeh | May 1, 2024

Girls’ lacrosse (12-8) defeated Irvine High 11-8 in an away game on April 22. However, the Bulldogs will not advance to the second round of CIF Division 2 after a 16-4 defeat in the first round against...

When Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick of the WNBA draft, was revealed to receive a significantly lower wage than Victor Wembanyama, last year’s NBA No. 1 pick, injustice towards female athletes became evident to sports viewers. “It needs to balance out a little bit more, especially now with Caitlin Clark and everything that she's done for women's college basketball,” prospective Wellesley college girls’ basketball player and senior Emaleena Elson said. “She's brought in so many more viewers and so much more attention to the WNBA. So at the end of the day, if the wage gap is about viewers, then shouldn't it be more balanced now?”

A ‘Slam Flunk’ in Sports: Caitlin Clark Controversy Stirs up Gender Pay Gap Discussion

Kayley Winata and Sonia Wang | May 1, 2024

Being on par with many of her male counterparts in the NBA and being the overall top scorer in NCAA Division I basketball for both men's and women's, one would expect athletes like Caitlin Clark — the...

Taking sick days when you are not sick makes it unfair for students who are actually ill and harder for teachers to fairly create make-up tests. “It's getting harder for us to distinguish sick students because students are just saying they're ill when in reality they're not,” AP Physics and engineering teacher Anthony Pham said. “We're at a point where we should consider just always having a different, harder exam for students no matter what the scenario might be, which will really hurt students that are actually sick and who need the time to recover before they can study.”

A Doctor’s Note on Test Day Keeps the ‘Sick’ Students Away

Stephanie Hwang and Jordan Hata | April 29, 2024

For some students, it feels as though there is never enough time to fully prepare for a test, especially if they are juggling a rigorous schedule with multiple AP and honors classes. As a result, Portola...

For decades, artist rivalries have pervaded the hip-hop scene. While Drake’s beef primarily concerns artists Future, Metro Boomin and Kendrick Lamar, controversial rapper Kanye West has injected himself into the beef with the April 22 release of his “Like That” remix. It appears West’s fear of missing out is at play here, as he was initially unrelated to the drama.

The Latest Hip-Hop Craze: Dissecting Drake’s Beef

Michael Sun, Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor | April 28, 2024

With the recent release of Drake’s long-awaited response track to fellow hip-hop greats Metro Boomin, Future and Kendrick Lamar, “Push Ups (Drop & Give Me Fifty),” the five-time Grammy award-winner’s...

Proactively deleting emails to reduce nonrenewable electricity usage raises awareness about the power plants where electricity comes from, according to AP Environmental Science teacher Courtney Moder. “It’s the next generation that has to figure out climate change,” Moder said. “It’s something that’s not really well known but is something that you can get people to get behind.”

Too Many Emails in Your Inbox? Support Environmental Sustainability by Deleting Them

Mary Lee, Staff Writer | April 26, 2024

A blue envelope icon and a large, looming number shows the sea of unchecked and undeleted emails that have piled up in your inbox over the past couple days, months or even years. These familiar experiences...

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