Ten teams of five students each competed at the first school decathlon, Portolathon. The event spanned three days starting on May 21, and the top three teams received a root beer float party. The winning team consisted of sophomores Nishad Francis, Anirudh Chaudhary, Venkat Kandhipati, Anish Joshi and Aditya Sasanur.

“School events and activities make school much more exciting, gives us something to look forward to, and brings our school together as one,” Portolathon participant and sophomore Kameran Mody said.

A typical decathlon consists of 10 track and field events such as the high jump, long jump, discus and 100 and 400 meter runs. However, Portolathon consisted of three-to-four events per day, composed of both academic and athletic events including mathematics, geography, frisbee toss, a three-legged race and more. The competition was conducted relay style, meaning each team had to wait until the last event was completed to begin the next.

“My favorite part of competing with my team in Portolathon is probably the thrill I got from having us go in that relay style, knowing that everyone around you can finish before you, and working as fast as you can and keep an eye on everyone else,” Portolathon participant and sophomore Nishad Francis said. “The feeling when you see that you were the first to finish or having that rush to catch up to the person before you is really enjoyable, and I love how close we are and how trusting and supportive we are for each other.”

Two years in, ASB has worked hard to provide the student body with an event that all students could participate and have fun in, and catered towards many different skill sets. ASB Vice President and sophomore Jason Chen hoped that the event would bring the student body together and leave students excited for events in the coming years.

“I would definitely say this shows how much ASB has grown, how much more complicated events we can do and still pull them off and have student involvement,” Chen said.

Not only was Portolathon a way for students to enjoy their lunchtimes, but they also got the chance to meet new people.

“Through these activities, we can share experiences with people we don’t know or wouldn’t think of getting to know,” Francis said. “Whether freshman or sophomores, everyone comes together and tries competing in these events, and have a lot of fun doing it.”