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
Shawyan Rooein

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor

Shawyan Rooein is your Centerspread editor of the Portola Pilot for the 2019-2020 school year! This is his third year on the Portola Pilot team and he is looking forward to another amazing year to come. Outside of the school newspaper, he is an avid tennis fan who competes both on the school team as captain and in tournaments outside of school. Outside of school and sports, he enjoys watching movies, hanging out with friends, eating food, and binge watching one of his many favorite TV shows including The Office.

All content by Shawyan Rooein
“The Shawshank Redemption” is commonly recognized to be one of the greatest movies to not win the Best Picture Award.

Binge These Throwback Movies During Quarantine

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor | May 13, 2020
Deciding where to go to college can be a difficult task for any senior. With so many great schools out there, how can students make that final decision?

Five Tips For Finding Your College Fit

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor | April 28, 2020
The innovation behind the course extends to its environment, which will feature a classroom dedicated to engineering design. A workshop containing power tools, wood and 3D printing materials will be connected to the classroom. Additionally, a glass wall will divide the two sections, allowing for the supervision of students working in the workshop and classroom.

Engineering Class Added to Course Offerings

Ajinkya Rane and Shawyan Rooein | March 25, 2020
Jealous step-sister Charlotte (sophomore Paris Suttle) began act two with “Stepsister’s Lament” accompanied by the ladies of the court. Together they questioned, “Why would a fellow want a girl like her?” after seeing Prince Topher dance with and show interest in a disguised Cinderella at the ball.

Review: ‘Cinderella’ Sends the Message of Kindness Through Magic

Manan Mendiratta and Shawyan Rooein | March 11, 2020
Annapoorna’s lunch buffet offers a great variety of traditional Indian dishes, including Chicken Tikka Masala and Palak Paneer. While Irvine has a relatively large Southeast Asian demographic, Indian food is not as popular as many cuisines like Japanese and Korean.

Taste of the Southeast: Reviewing the Best Indian Food in Irvine

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | February 24, 2020
The cast of “Parasite,” including Song Kang-ho, Choi Woo-shik and others walked the red carpets at film festivals around the world but remarked that the Academy Awards was one of their most significant and memorable experiences.

‘Parasite’ Breaks New Ground at Oscars

Shawyan Rooein, Ki Joon Lee, and Julia Kim | February 20, 2020
Jenny Song (middle) stands with her Laguna Fencing Center teammates after the North American Cup (NAC) in October 2017 where Song was ranked the Division 2 national champion. In between matches, it is common for Song and her teammates to spend time with each other.

Fencing Friendships Form Out of Town

Shawyan Rooein and Tiffany Wu | January 24, 2020
Adrian Rangel-Sanchez’s classroom has a tree lit with lights and red-color-schemed collection of ornaments based off his affection for lights and decorations that was developed early-on in his childhood. The decorations are something he does every year after Thanksgiving break to encourage students to get into the holiday cheer.

Teachers Wrap Their Classrooms in Festivity

Bia Shok and Shawyan Rooein | December 19, 2019
Boys' basketball analyzes video footage of their previous game, discussing points of transition, free throw percentages and further breakdowns of each play. This is a regular process to not only set goals but also create a specific action plan approaching the next game.

Boys’ Basketball Rolls Into New Season

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor | December 18, 2019
As the theater lights dim, the excitement of the audience and voices of speakers emanate across the room. Performances portrayed life experiences involving chronic diseases, deafness, abuse and depression.

Irvine Talks Moves IUSD High Schools Together

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | November 26, 2019
Freshman Anne Yang drives a forehand crosscourt after a short ball from her opponent. Yang went on to win the point and later win her match 6-0 against Trabuco Hills High’s number two player.

Girls’ Tennis Wins CIF Finals and Makes School History

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor | November 25, 2019
Anne Yang pounces on her opponents weak return, swiftly putting the ball away down the line.

Girls’ Tennis Stuns Competition to Maintain Winning Streak

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor | October 18, 2019
The Inaugural Irvine Market was hosted on Sept. 14 at the Orange County Great Park soccer stadium, and saw over 1800 visitors over the course of its 6 hour event. Students from all five Irvine High Schools helped coordinate the event, which was sponsored by the Make-A-Wish club. The event featured a variety of entertainment attractions, including a jazz band, food trucks, and a wrestling match.

Wishes Come True at the Irvine Night Market

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | October 17, 2019
Omomo Tea Shoppe has one of the most aesthetic interiors and instagrammable drinks, but its long lines and average boba aren’t for milk tea connoisseurs.

Searching for the Most Tea-rrific Boba

Julia Kim, Jordan Lee, and Shawyan Rooein | May 21, 2019
SpaceX’s Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) is planned for Earth-to-Earth flights that shorten most long-distance flights around the world to around thirty minutes, according to the SpaceX website.

Private Space Industry Launches toward Civilian Space Travel

Nicholas Hung and Shawyan Rooein | April 17, 2019
During a lunch meeting of the speech and debate club, freshman Amitoj Singh presents to his fellow club members on the etiquette, format and expectations for debate competitions.

Amitoj Singh’s Fiery Debates Showcase the Might of Words over Action

Simrat Singh and Shawyan Rooein | April 16, 2019
Morticia Addams(Anar Bhatt) sings “Death Is Just Around The Corner” after realizing Wednesday(Rachel Abalos) and Gomez(Nishad Francis) are keeping a secret from her.

‘The Addams Family’ is Another Stunner For the Drama Department

Shawyan Rooein, Backpage Editor | March 29, 2019
Captain Marvel shoots past expectations in theaters as the first Marvel film to feature a female lead.

A Marvel-ous Superhero Origin Story

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | March 22, 2019
Buo Luo Bao is a sweet pineapple crusted bun with sweet condensed milk on the inside, and is one of the tastiest sweet asian breads.

Let’s Get This Bread: A Fully-Baked Review of the Best Asian Bakery Items

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | March 13, 2019
Carmel deLites are one of the most popular Girl Scout cookie flavors, but there are many other delicious options to choose from.

Scouting for the Best Girl Scout Cookies

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | March 7, 2019

eBooks are Efficient

Shawyan Rooein, Back Page Editor | February 14, 2019
Electric Scooters Change Transit in Cities

Electric Scooters Change Transit in Cities

Shawyan Rooein, Backpage Editor | January 31, 2019
In a rapid counter attack, Manan Mendiratta prepares to slap the puck across the ice into the netting. His travel team, the Anaheim Junior Ducks, is one of the top three in California.

Bulldog Athletes Break the Ice

Shawyan Rooein and Tiffany Wu | January 18, 2019
Beginning the next stage in her life, Murphy graduates law school and is congratulated by her family. Murphy spent three years getting her degree at Chapman Law School.

Graduating from Courtroom to Classroom

Shawyan Rooein and Simrat Singh | January 15, 2019
The California wildfires have been ravaging communities for months.

UC Applications Extended for Students Affected by Wildfires

Shawyan Rooein, Back Page Editor | December 21, 2018
Rocky Balboa and Adonis Creed are back for “Creed 2”, fighting against Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago from the previous “Rocky” series.

Creed 2 Review: Not Exactly a Knockout

Shawyan Rooein, Backpage Editor | December 6, 2018
One of Shin-Sen-Gumi's popular dishes, Hakata Ramen, featres a deep and flavorful soup base topped with noodles customized to cook the way you order it. The ramen also comes with pieces of pork belly, green onion and ginger.

Ranking the Hottest Ramen Joints in Irvine

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | November 26, 2018
The WASC process is a six-year cycle during which students and staff members evaluate their school development and set goals.

WASC Process Begins This Year at Portola

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | October 16, 2018
The marching band gets their final words of encouragement from teacher Desmond Stevens before embarking on their field show at the Tesoro Marching Band Field Tournament

Marching To Victory at Tesoro Field Tournament

Shawyan Rooein, Backpage Editor | October 15, 2018
Just getting there in time, freshman Saachi Pavani returns a powerful crosscourt shot to win the point.

Varsity Girls Tennis Takes a Swing at its First Tournament

Shawyan Rooein, Back-Page Editor | September 20, 2018
Mike Nassif shows Nick Medvedev how to launch a remote controlled airplane.

Aviation Club Takes Flight in First Year

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | June 7, 2018
Freshman Joshua Ong and sophomore Stephanie Tang created an unforgettable bond through Buddy Club every Wednesday lunch. They were both recognized by the counseling department for having a positive influence and creating an inclusive environment at the campus.

Recipients of Bulldog Excellence Awards demonstrate both P.R.I.D.E. Values and Character

Shawyan Rooein and Ki Joon Lee | June 6, 2018
T-Mobile and Sprint are catching up to Verizon and AT&T in subscribers after their April 29 merge.

Sprinting into a New Age of Wireless Networks

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | June 4, 2018
Steering the Way to Efficiency: Why the Bus System should be Brought Back

Steering the Way to Efficiency: Why the Bus System should be Brought Back

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor | April 30, 2018
The Science Olympiad team gathers for a pep talk before the competition.

It is All About Team Chemistry on Science Olympiad

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | April 18, 2018
Freshman and lead alto saxophone Kevin Du warms up for first period jazz band with the song "Bluestart."

Noteworthy Jazz Band Plays With Its Soul

Ava Caleca and Shawyan Rooein | March 29, 2018
Sophomores Roy Bae, Mackenzie Topete and Winston Yi perform “Galop”, a song filled with fast rhythmic beats on their unique wind instruments.

Fine Arts Week Starting Off with a Symphonic Boom

Shawyan Rooein and Nathan Oh | March 21, 2018
Science Olympiad students celebrate after finishing all of their events.

Science Olympiad Keeps its Ion the Prize

Jordan Lee and Shawyan Rooein | March 9, 2018
What is the Appropriate Age to Start Using Social Media?

What is the Appropriate Age to Start Using Social Media?

Anthony Chan and Shawyan Rooein | March 5, 2018
Ian Aros poses for a scene while filming for the 24 hour music video competition.

Students Make a Music Video In Under 24 Hours

Shawyan Rooein and Dylan Vanek | January 29, 2018
Office Jennifer Johsen arrests a Disneyland actress dressed up like Snow White who was protesting at a labor rally.

A Double Duty Cop

Shawyan Rooein and Dylan Vanek | January 29, 2018
Advancing the Challenge With Advanced Placement Classes

Advancing the Challenge With Advanced Placement Classes

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor | December 22, 2017
Alex Beltran speaks from the heart about her hope for her brother's battle with drug abuse.

Irvine Talks about What it Means to be Human

Maryam Shama and Shawyan Rooein | December 15, 2017
Sophomore Manimaran Muchikkal trains with his teammates during practice.

Wrestling Into a New Season

Shawyan Rooein and Dylan Vanek | December 7, 2017
Sophomore Allison Shi returns a hit from her opponent.

JV Girls’ Tennis Wraps Up Season with Loss Against Beckman

Maryam Shama and Shawyan Rooein | October 30, 2017
Pehrson relaxes with his family on vacation.

Inside the Life of John Pehrson

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor | October 16, 2017
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Shawyan Rooein