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

YAT staff members, teen summit committee members and juniors Alex Zhang and Ethan Zhang promote the event around campus by talking to students and showing them promotional posters. High attendance numbers depend on student-led promotion, social media and word of mouth being two examples.

YAT Hosts 27th Teen Summit

Naila Talib and Sidra Asif | April 15, 2021

Irvine’s High School Youth Action Team virtually hosted its 27th annual teen summit event, which was Ratatouille-themed, on April 10. The event featured Mayor Farrah Khan, University of California, Berkeley...

S1 Episode 04: Musical Milestones: “What Does Music Mean to You?”

S1 Episode 04: Musical Milestones: “What Does Music Mean to You?”

Ryne Dunman and Ryan Jung | April 13, 2021

The Portola Pioneer is the official news and culture podcast of the Portola Pilot, aiming to foster a sense of community and provide a unique storytelling medium to its listeners. In the episode,...

At a James Madison Memorial Meeting, social studies department chair Jon Resendez speaks with the fellowship’s Board of Trustees. Resendez offers his thoughts about Constitutional teaching in American schools and discusses the possibilities of a new Constitutional Convention for the organization.

For Passion Civics Teacher, a 200-Year-Old Document Is the Key to Nuancing Today’s Politics

Ryan Jung and Krisha Konchadi | April 7, 2021

As a Passion Civics teacher who holds the mantle of educating the next generation of citizens, social studies department chair Jon Resendez must wrestle with the Constitution daily. To supplement his efforts...

Freshman Belan Ngo’s crochet designs are heavily inspired by fashion trends she sees on social media platforms, whether it be TikTok, Pinterest or Instagram. “I saw videos on TikTok, actually. There was this one girl who was making a heart crochet hat, and I couldn’t find a tutorial on YouTube, so she helped me with it and sent me different videos to learn off of,” Ngo said. “I also check people’s Instagrams and see what’s most popular at the moment and see if I can turn it into a crochet item.”

Student Small Businesses: Freshman Belan Ngo Crafts Business with Homemade Apparel

Lauren Hsu and Akshay Raj | April 5, 2021

Metallic flashes of a crochet hook bob between ropes of sage-green yarn as freshman Belan Ngo meticulously constructs the first item in her new line of products for her Depop business: a woven, white-trimmed...

 “Minari” won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film after being disqualified from competing for Best Picture due to containing dialogue that was less than 50% in English. “When it won, what should have been a moment of collective joy felt like the award equivalent to the backhanded compliment: ‘Your English is so good!,’” author Nancy Wang Yuen said in an NBC article.

Best Foreign Language Film, ‘Minari,’ is the Most American Film Ever Made

Celine Lee and Charlotte Cao | March 26, 2021

How do you speak American? Despite the wide array of cultures found in this nation and the notion that the United States has no official language, according to the Golden Globes, the answer is simple:...

Vice president candidate and junior Stella Jung and newly elected ASB president and junior Amitoj Singh hang posters around Portola High to publicize their campaign. ASB candidates used a combination of posters and flyers and hung them on stairwells and bulletin boards.

Introducing the 2021-22 Elected ASB Officials

Emma Haag, Sports Editor | March 26, 2021

Portola High’s ASB elected positions were released March 23 at 3:30 p.m. on the @portola.asb Instagram page.  The results are as follows:   ASB President: Amitoj Singh, junior ASB Vice...

Freshmen Ashley Tabayoyong, Jaime Lin and Elyse Berger gather together before cheer practice on March 24 along with their other upperclassmen teammates. “I really like having a lot of people to hang around with; its really fun at practice,” Lin said.

Meet the Pep Squad’s Only Three Freshmen

Clara Ferreira Lopes and Michelle Kim | March 26, 2021

Gaining a spot on a varsity team for any sport is difficult. Specifically, cheer requires school spirit like no other as well as mental and physical flexibility and strength. After hard work and preparation,...

Home football games allow the football team, marching band and cheer team to unite Portola High under the banner of school spirit.

Football, Cheer and Marching Band Reunite for the Football Season

Ryne Dunman and Justin Tang | March 26, 2021

It’s the second varsity football game of the season. An evening breeze sweeps through the bleachers, sparsely occupied by small clusters of parents and relatives.  On the field, football teams from...

Senior Gina Cardini, along with her parents and younger brother, visit the Taj Mahal on one of the many excursions the family took during their time living in India. “I cherish those six years of my life with all my heart,” Cardini said. “Everything that Ive done in those six years are literally some of my favorite memories in the world.”

Citizen of the World: Gina Cardini

Charlotte Cao, Co-News Editor | March 23, 2021

“It's beautiful being a citizen of the world. That's what I call myself, because I don't really have a home or a place to call my home.”  Over Zoom, I watch as a wistful smile blooms across...

Whether it is Black Lives Matter or Stop Asian Hate, both minorities are fighting for the same thing: freedom and equality. Rather than pointing the blame at other minorities for racism, Asian Americans and Black Americans need to protest together in order to dismantle systems that suppress them.

Fighting Racism with Racism: An Impossible Battle Against Black and Asian Hate

Dheeksha Bhima Reddy | March 22, 2021

From the start of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, news of the Asian community being physically tormented and warned to “go back to China” and the Black community facing the death of several innocent...

Ceramics teacher Donovan Miller examines his old gas ceramic kiln. The new kiln, which will be purchased using money from the IPSF grant, will be able to undergo eight different types of firings, allowing for the clay to have a variety of textures.

IPSF Awards Grants to Students and Teachers

Aadi Mehta, Staff Writer | March 18, 2021

Irvine Public Schools Foundation awarded five grants to Portola High student and teacher groups who requested funding for upcoming projects on Feb. 26 as part of the annual Innovative Grant Program.  Senior...

Coach Benjamin Jordon says he took on the new job offer at Portola High to challenge himself. “It would have challenged me as a leader and as a role model … So, taking on the Portola job would have placed me out of my comfort zone in terms of the challenge thats needed at that particular program,” Jordon said.

New Boys’ Soccer Coach Benjamin Jordon Kicks Off with the Right Foot

Bia Shok, Features Editor | March 17, 2021

With a joyful mood, slight smile and confident posture, Benjamin Jordon gazes outward towards a cluster of players while standing on the fresh grass in front of the benches. He gestures gently yet firmly...

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