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
Aditi Salunkhe

Aditi Salunkhe, Co-News Editor

Aditi Salunkhe is the Co-News Editor for her third and final year on the Portola Pilot. When she's not rushing to write Pilot stories on tight deadlines, she can be found reading a good book or listening to Coldplay. In her free time, she enjoys napping and going on long runs. She is so excited to help lead the first-ever breaking news team this year!

All content by Aditi Salunkhe
Librarian Phoebe Kern scans a book and checks it out for a student. “I consider my most important role as a librarian to create free and equitable access to information and to foster a safe and inspirational space for students [to] interact with that information in an encouraging learning environment,” Kern said.

Turning a Page in the Book of Opportunity

Aditi Salunkhe and Maya Tedini | October 14, 2024
Wingstop’s new Sweet BBQ Blaze flavor, released just in time for football season, offers a smoky, tangy twist on classic barbecue wings. Portola High students flock to try the latest addition, savoring its bold, rich sweetness with every bite.

Wingstop Kicks Off NFL Football Season with New Sweet BBQ Blaze Flavor

Aditi Salunkhe, Moer Koey | October 3, 2024
Global Badminton Academy athlete and freshman Josh Xu lunges down to attack the shuttlecock at a tournament in Frisco, Texas on Jan 16. “I always want to do good in my tournaments and avoid falling down,” Xu said. “It’s really easy for a badminton player to fall down at some point. Sometimes when I lose, I become a little depressed, but I still try to be positive and go train.”

Freshman Josh Xu’s Badminton Journey is a ‘Smashing’ Success

Aditi Salunkhe and Alice Ahn | June 5, 2024
Junior Bronson Pearson passes the baton to senior Rider Cooper, who acts as the anchor during the 4x100 relay at the Portola vs. Laguna Hills dual meet on April 9, allowing him to sprint to the finish and secure the win for the Bulldogs. “All my teammates have been super supportive by pushing me in practice and racing me,” Cooper said.

Senior Rider Cooper Shatters Records and Rises to the Top

Aditi Salunkhe and Sonia Wang | April 24, 2024
Mayor Farrah Khan delivered her final State of the City Address, which included a reflection on the city’s economic growth and future goals. “As we move forward, let’s continue to build on this legacy, embracing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead,” Khan said. “Let’s shape a future that honors our shared achievements and reflects our common values.”

Mayor Farrah Khan Unveils Vision for Future Progress in State of the City Address

Aditi Salunkhe, Assistant Sports Editor | March 27, 2024
Math teacher Ran Gu receives a $10,000 Innovative Grant from the Irvine Public Schools Foundation (IPSF). IPSF awards over $5,000,000 in grants, donations and program support to the Irvine Unified School District each year, according to IPSF.

$10,000 IPSF Innovative Grant Digitizes Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Program

Aditi Salunkhe, Assistant Sports Editor | March 5, 2024
S4 Episode 03: Breaking the STEM Ceiling: Women Who Are Redefining Science

S4 Episode 03: Breaking the STEM Ceiling: Women Who Are Redefining Science

Kayleen Kim and Aditi Salunkhe | February 12, 2024
Junior Yash Malani accepts the first-place award at the IUSD Science and Engineering Fair. “It feels like we accomplished a lot,” Malani said. “It got me looking into the possibility of robotics and the hardware part of computers.”

Portola High Students Win High Honors at 2024 IUSD Science Fair

Mary Lee and Aditi Salunkhe | February 5, 2024
Instead of using Elf on the Shelf as a holiday tradition that constantly watches children, parents should instead teach children the value of kindness and good behavior without attaching it to a creepy elf. “I think in general, you need to convince kids to have integrity themselves, rather than using some device to kind of manipulate them into that,” sophomore Tristan Kim said.

Unveiling the Darker Side of Elf on the Shelf

Sonia Wang and Aditi Salunkhe | December 19, 2023
Poor air quality from the fire caused multiple schools in Tustin to shut down temporarily. "Nobody wants to close schools,'' vice president of the Tustin Unified School Board Allyson Muniz Damikolas said in a statement released to ABC News. "I want schools opened as fast as possible and as safely as possible.”

Tustin’s Historic World War II North Hangar Burns Down

Aditi Salunkhe, Assistant Sports Editor | November 21, 2023
Senior Anusha Namburu and senior Haniya Hassaan eat chicken biryani at the Diwali party hosted by the South Asian Student Association “The festivities are associated with firecrackers or explosions that only happen once a year and are often hallmarks of our childhood,” Portola High SASA club outreach director and senior Amogh Baddam said. “We’re just seeing everybody celebrate our culture and having fun together in traditional clothes.”

South Asian Student Association Hosts 7th Annual Diwali Party

Aditi Salunkhe and Sonia Wang | November 20, 2023
The college counselor business has proliferated in recent years, in light of the increased competitiveness of college admissions. Yet, students pay thousands of dollars for these services that do not necessarily guarantee admission. “There's no definite template as to say this college will accept me because of this,” junior Ananya Vuppula said. “I think you just have to be genuine in what you do and don't do it just because a college tells you to.”

Challenging the Cost of College Counselors: Are They Truly Worth It?

Aditi Salunkhe and Elise Ngo | November 1, 2023
Senior Haniya Hassaan and juniors Zoe Nguyen and Anaika Nagireddy prepared their sports and entertainment marketing presentation for a panel of judges. Students were given 10 minutes to prepare for their event and were split into groups of two to three attendees.

Students Stay ‘Busy’ in Portola Business Club’s Fourth Annual Mini-Conference

Aditi Salunkhe and Mary Lee | October 30, 2023
Dance and French teacher Megan Kirby instructs Dance 1 students on the proper form and technique of pique turns. “There's a lot of learning from mistakes involved and developing skill[s] and having a growth mindset,” Kirby said.

French Teacher Megan Kirby ‘Turns’ to the Dance Studio

Mary Lee and Aditi Salunkhe | October 5, 2023
ASB hosted Portola High’s annual Homecoming Dance on Sept. 23. Seniors Lena Cho, Ivy Nunez, Kristy So and Audrey Yung dance to the song “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People.

Portola High Students Experience an ‘Epic’ Homecoming

Aditi Salunkhe, Assistant Sports Editor | October 3, 2023
Juniors Jasmine Davis and Haniya Hassaan and seniors Yan Dong, Jana Malek and Jenny Zhang attended the international DECA business competition on April 22-25. The International Career Development Conference is focused on enriching students’ entrepreneurship skills in finance, marketing, hospitality and tourism, business management and communications, according to DECA.

DECA Club Represents California in International Business Competition

Aditi Salunkhe, Staff Writer | May 5, 2023
Sophomore Mateo Allen-Aguirre gets ready for a speed workout by running 50 meter strides and doing drills to warm up his body. “My aspiration is mainly to see how hard I can push myself both mentally and physically to attain a level of commitment that is uncommon,” Allen-Aguirre said.

Sophomore Mateo Allen-Aguirre Races to New School Records in Track

Aditi Salunkhe | April 28, 2023
(From top to bottom) National History Day OC coordinator Julie Hull, juniors Vismaya Sista, Rachel Kim, Bernice Hung, social studies teacher Wind Ralston, juniors Tyler Kim, Brian Kim and Ian Yoon celebrate their historic win at the regional competition. This marks a record number of entries to qualify for the state level in the club’s history, according to Sista.

National History Day Club Advances to Nationals After Competing at State Level

Aditi Salunkhe, Staff Writer | April 21, 2023
Dance 3 and 4 took to the stage to perform a graceful and delicate contemporary piece titled “Always Be the One” to the song “I’ll Always be the One Who Makes You Cry” by Eric Hutchinson. The talented group of girls captured the audience’s attention as they skillfully executed their routine.

‘Vertigo’ Dance Concert ‘Spins’ into Action

Cara Chan, Marianne Chan, and Aditi Salunkhe | March 31, 2023
Juniors Pranav Patlola, Michael Sun, Atharv Joshi and Nicholas Tan celebrate their advancement to the state level of the National Economics Challenge. The NEC Club members are currently preparing for the State Finals, which will take place on April 11.

National Economics Challenge Club Fosters Competitive Learning Environment

Aditi Salunkhe, Staff Writer | March 29, 2023
Juniors Jasmine Davis and Haniya Hassan and senior Jana Malek celebrate their win on qualifying for the International conference with their project about pure water filtration in Pakistan.

Virtual Enterprise and Empowering Entrepreneurship Compete at State Career Development Conference

Aditi Salunkhe and Arshia Sista | March 20, 2023
Chess tournaments are competitive and demand a high level of physical strength from the player as they can last upwards of nine hours. Chess should be categorized as a sport due to its intensity and the stamina players must have.

Settling the Debate: Chess Should Be Considered a Legitimate Sport

Aditi Salunkhe, Staff Writer | March 17, 2023

[Video] 3 Homemade Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Aditi Salunkhe and Maya Tedini | February 10, 2023
Climate change activists faced public outrage after vandalizing a priceless painting at the London National Gallery and demanding that the government prevent the production of fossil fuels. Extreme forms of protest such as this have become increasingly common among advocates for climate action as they generate publicity. However, such acts only serve to distance people from the true purpose of the movement.

The Controversial Climate Change Movement: Why Peaceful Demonstrations Trump Extreme Protests

Aditi Salunkhe, Staff Writer | February 10, 2023
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
A careless student riding his e-bike streaks past the speed limit. The uncontrollable speed causes him to fall hard on the ground, unmoving.

E-Bikes Race Over the Speed Limit of School Safety

Elise Ngo and Aditi Salunkhe | November 17, 2022
Senior Danae Dang carefully pours molten wax into a jar. Careful attention to detail – in this instance a slow, steady pour to ensure that no stray bubbles form – is necessary to achieve a satisfactory final product, according to media technician Amanda Cramer.

Waxing Poetic: Students Pour Homemade Candles in First Makerspace Session

Tyler Kim and Aditi Salunkhe | October 27, 2022
Instrumental teacher Desmond Stevens conducts the symphonic orchestra. Developing a strong community of musicians is crucial as concerts require strong teamwork skills from all performers. “I think that [symphonic band] is a lot more supportive than other bands I’ve been in where they critique you if you mess up,” freshman Saurin Mody said.

Band and Orchestra Transport Audience ‘Across the Pond’ for Fall Concert

Tyler Kim and Aditi Salunkhe | October 23, 2022
S3 Episode 01: Clowns, Ghouls and Killers: A Reflection on the Horror Genre

S3 Episode 01: Clowns, Ghouls and Killers: A Reflection on the Horror Genre

Dheeksha Bhima Reddy, Arnav Chandan, Aditi Salunkhe, Arshia Sista, and Parmin Zamani | October 23, 2022
Junior Cindy Mei plays a guzheng with her performance group from the Lotus Bud Guzheng Academy. They use guitar picks to pluck the strings and incorporate various techniques seen in other string instruments such as the vibrato, according to Mei. “It's just kind of our tradition,” Mei said. “It's just a great time to perform and hang out at the Global Village Festival afterwards with the rest of my ensemble.”

Volunteers at the 21st Annual Irvine Global Village Festival Facilitate Cultural Activities

Aditi Salunkhe, Staff Writer | October 20, 2022
Mental health specialist Maureen Muir plans upcoming activities to grow her LGBTQ+ community support group to be district-wide. “There's a lot of ways that this position can expand, and I'm really excited,” Muir said. “I'm so grateful to have been given this opportunity for this position.”

Mental Health Specialist Maureen Muir Leaves Portola for a New District Job

Aditi Salunkhe, Staff Writer | October 11, 2022
Portola’s New Student Teachers Arrive on Campus

Portola’s New Student Teachers Arrive on Campus

Tyler Kim and Aditi Salunkhe | October 6, 2022
Sophomore Joanna Peng admires the sleek, modern design of iPhones. “I am a fan of Apple because of its simple and very beautiful design,” Peng said.

Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the Release of Apple’s New Product Lineup

Aditi Salunkhe | September 19, 2022
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The student news site of Portola High School
Aditi Salunkhe