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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

As guests get ready to board the ride, an army of Stormtroopers are there  guarded by cast members dressed as soldiers for the First Order to contribute to the theming of the ride.

Take a First Look at the First Order with Disneyland’s New Attraction

Ava Caleca and Helena Hu | February 10, 2020

Thousands of Disney fanatics lined up outside the opening gates of Disneyland as early as midnight on Jan. 17 for the new addition to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, according to the OC Register. Star...

Senior Jessalyn Nguyen, sophomore Hailey Kim and junior Elisa Tan link arms in a stunt at the regional competition. Each cheerleader receives specialized training specific to their role in the routine, and all must work together closely to make the performance possible.

Cheer Brings Home Second at Regional Competition

Lauren Hsu, Staff Writer | February 7, 2020

Applause fills the gymnasium as the cheerleaders rush onto the mats, setting down their pom poms and posters and taking the starting positions in their routine.  Competitive cheer placed second...

Senior Saif Habibeh steals the ball back from University High, searching to make a pass to an open teammate. Saif Habibeh scored a total of four points for the Bulldogs.

Boys’ Basketball Emerges as Pacific Coast League Champions with 9-1 Record

Ava Caleca and Kelthie Truong | February 6, 2020

Updated Feb. 7: Boys' basketball (9-1) clinched the PCL Champion title in its 70-51 victory against Irvine High on Feb. 6. The team continued its winning streak over its final three games, ending the season...

Juniors Eric Hao and Rachel Abalos and senior Joseph Kim didn’t realize they had ten minutes to perform their two minute song. An hour before it started, they decided to sing a mashup of "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder and “Can't Take My Eyes off of You" by Frankie Vallie and The Four Seasons, which they had talked about the day before.

Student Artists Take on Youth Action Team’s 14th Annual Akustikoff

Krisha Konchadi, Social Media Team | February 6, 2020

Students from all IUSD high schools attended and performed at the 14th annual Akustikoff at the Heritage Park Community Center on Jan. 31. Akustikoff is a student-run set of musical performances that high...

Like his previous album, “Kamikaze,” Eminem released his eleventh studio album “Music to be Murdered By” on a Thursday night without any prior announcement. The album marked his 24th year in the industry.

Eminem Invites Listeners into the ‘Darkness’ with ‘Music to be Murdered By’

Jenny Won, Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor | February 5, 2020

Rap legend Eminem surprised and delighted fans everywhere on Jan. 17 with the unannounced drop of his eleventh studio album, “Music to be Murdered By.” It immediately debuted number one on Billboard’s...

Thousands of fans in the Los Angeles area gathered around Staples Center to pay tribute to Kobe Bryant. Following his untimely death, many NBA teams paid tribute to Bryant in their own ways.

Remembering Kobe Bryant

Simrat Singh, Co-Editor-in-Chief | February 5, 2020

What was supposed to be just a normal routine week quickly transformed into one of the worst weeks of my life. Kobe Bryant. The man that I had been a fan of for the past 13 years had died? I immediately...

Boys basketball celebrates its league win after senior Mohsen Hasheimi shoots a game-winning shot in the last second of the game. The teammates celebrate their comeback after losing to Beckman 49-60 earlier in the season.

Bulldogs Take First in League with Last Minute Shot

Emma Haag and Krisha Konchadi | February 4, 2020

Boys’ basketball (7-1) won against Beckman High 37-35 at Beckman High School on Jan. 24. With the teams being tied at tied in league, this win pushed the Bulldogs to first place in league. “The...

Congresswoman Katie Porter (third from the left) awarded seniors Patrick Cui, Stephanie Zhang, Brian Hawkins, Matthew Kwon and Jimmy Kang with a certificate to recognize their achievements.

Seniors Win CA-45 Congressional App Challenge

Kate Hayashi and Maya Sabbaghian | February 4, 2020

Congresswoman Katie Porter recognized one winner and three runners-up for the CA-45 District’s annual Congressional App Challenge at her Orange County office on Jan. 25. Seniors  Jimmy Kang and Stephanie...

This is of the SARS strain of coronavirus. Experts believe the 2019-nCoV coronavirus originated in bats and spread to humans.

Coronavirus Concerns in Irvine – How Worried Should Students Be?

Ryne Dunman, Contributing Writer | February 3, 2020

The novel coronavirus has affected over 17,000 people across 23 countries with a report of 369 fatalities, as of Feb. 3. The city of Wuhan, China claims most of the affected patients and casualties and...

As the air grows tense and the timer ticks down to its final seconds before the big race at the CIF Southern Section Division 3 finals, the varsity girls’ cross country team gathers in a circle to lock hands in prayer to boost their spirits and calm their nerves. Junior Kaeli Smith leads the prayer, which has been a tradition of the predominantly Christian varsity girls’ team for a year.

Practicing Religion and Athletics

Akshay Raj, Assistant Features Editor | January 31, 2020

At Portola High, several athletes participate freely in their religious beliefs alongside their sports. While religion is by no means a staple of sports, various teams across campus are accepting of and...

Junior Isaac Betancourt passes the ball to senior Anirudh Chaudhary, a prime example of Portola’s possession based offense.

Boys’ Soccer Scores Big in League Victory

Farhad Taraporevala and Simrat Singh | January 31, 2020

Boys’ soccer (2-4-1) won 3-0 at home against Beckman High on Jan. 24, as the team came together for a strong team win. The Bulldogs have struggled in league games this year, but the team broke the...

The soulful tones of senior Yash Menon’s guitar and lyrical style of senior Shivank Gupta’s saxophone fill the air as their unique sounds come together in their rendition of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” The exciting combination of smooth jazz and striking rock forms melodious versatility that could not be accomplished with just one instrument.

Musical Duo Creates Harmony Through Contrast

Manan Mendiratta and Akshay Raj | January 30, 2020

On a peaceful Saturday morning, the sharp strumming of an electric guitar and the rich tones of a saxophone can be heard flowing in unison out of senior Yash Menon’s garage as he and senior Shivank Gupta...

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