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
News
Sophomore Lulu Zhao, junior Natalie Song, junior Jawad Khadra and sophomore Jimin Han received the CTE Bulldog Excellence Awards, which is granted to students who demonstrate PRIDE values while taking advantage of opportunities to pursue their career interests, according to the Bulldog Excellence Award pamphlet.
Jadyn Zdanavage Named Bulldog of the Year at Annual Bulldog Awards Ceremony
Skyller Liu and Arshia Sista
May 30, 2023
Junior Makena Wong dances with her friends as the DJ plays various popular songs and sped-up remixes from the last decade, like a mashup of ¨First Class¨ by Jack Harlow and ¨Glamorous¨ by Fergie. The Yost Theater hosted prom on April 29.
Prom ‘Masquerade Ball’ was a Night to Remember
Gwyneth Yung, Photo Editor
May 12, 2023
Senior Joseph Sevilla plays the piano during the lunchtime activities at Ability Awareness Week to showcase the work by Unified Sound.
First Ability Awareness Week Allows Students to Embrace Inclusivity
Arshia Sista, Front Page Editor
May 11, 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
People of Portola High
Q&A With the Portola Pilot Seniors
Q&A With the Portola Pilot Seniors
Cara Chan and Dheeksha Bhima Reddy
May 25, 2023
3759X members and juniors Pranav Patlola, Martin Pan, Adrianne Chang and Audrey Kim from Fairmont Prep pose with their fourth place winning robot at the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas. Eight hundred teams qualified for the world championship out of about 20,000 states teams, according to Pan.
Robotics Team 3759X Builds its Way to World Championships
Hannah Ko and Maya Tedini
May 24, 2023
Sophomore Skylar Nguyen has been practicing aerial silk since her freshman year and is continuing to grow her skillset with more difficult movements. “Usually when it comes to doing my drops the first time is always the scariest,” Nguyen said. “Im usually high in the air, so its not like anyone can really, like, help guide my back. Usually though, after practicing it a couple times, I get used to the height and the drop and the technique.”
Grace Through Silk: Sophomore Skylar Nguyen Finds her Art Form Through Aerial Silk
Arshia Sista and Shaina Taebi
May 15, 2023
Senior Molly Lamon-Paredes listens to senior Katherine Martinez while they sit together during lunch, going over the reinforcement list, a method of positive behavioral reinforcement for those with disabilities.
Senior Katherine Martinez Advocates for the Disability Community
Kayleen Kim, Opinion Editor
May 9, 2023
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Features
Q&A With the Portola Pilot Seniors
Q&A With the Portola Pilot Seniors
Cara Chan and Dheeksha Bhima Reddy
May 25, 2023
3759X members and juniors Pranav Patlola, Martin Pan, Adrianne Chang and Audrey Kim from Fairmont Prep pose with their fourth place winning robot at the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas. Eight hundred teams qualified for the world championship out of about 20,000 states teams, according to Pan.
Robotics Team 3759X Builds its Way to World Championships
Hannah Ko and Maya Tedini
May 24, 2023
Arts & Entertainment
Jake (senior Nick Nieto) defends himself to his bandmates when they confront him over his addiction, which has been a continuing problem throughout his life.
Seniors’ Last Play is Anything but a ‘One Hit Wonder’
Maitri Allani and Claire Chan
June 2, 2023
Junior Yasmine Cheng first designed the senior mural by hand for the Class of 2024, which represents birds soaring over the sky. “I was just thinking of being free, being independent, choosing your own path, and when we leave high school, we basically can set our own course,” Cheng said. “I was trying to draw this piece and how I reflected on my past few years at this school.”
Soaring over the Sky: Junior Yasmine Cheng Creates Senior Mural for Class of 2024
Arshia Sista and Shaina Taebi
June 1, 2023
The front of the gallery displayed paintings and sketches from Portola High students. Teachers from each school in Irvine Unified selected a few students’ artwork for awards. “I think its just a huge honor to be able to now say that I have some students whose artwork has been shown in the museum,” visual arts teacher Kearci Thompson said.
Portola High Hosts Inaugural District Honors Art Show
Ruhi Samudra and Parmin Zamani
May 30, 2023
Opinion
Students would benefit greatly from mental health days, which gives students time to relieve their stress and enjoy themselves. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and Portola High should encourage this idea among students through a newly-implemented system similar to Northwood High’s “State of the Student” day.
School-Wide Mental Health Days Should be Adopted
Madeline Chung and Elise Ngo
June 2, 2023
The “practice makes perfect” myth could overpower a musician’s practice. Often, this myth perpetuates a feeling of imperfection and frustration that could lapse in time.
A Journey to Break Free from the ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ Myth
Kayleen Kim, Opinion Editor
May 31, 2023
“Barbie” (2023) and “Oppenheimer” (2023) are both scheduled to release on July 21, forcing many moviegoers to make a decision between the two highly anticipated films.
H2H: Oppenheimer or Barbie?
May 30, 2023
Online marketplaces have been steadily accelerating in scope, with over 431.4 billion dollars worth of sales being on the internet in 2022, according to Forbes. Despite seeming like a positive, this shift has caused innumerable destruction to physical stores.
Brick and Mortar Stores Should Remain a Staple of the Consumer Model
Tara Vatandoust, A&E Editor
May 26, 2023
Sports
Senior and varsity lacrosse player Karam Khurana defends the goal through persistent stick checks and defensive tactics he learned from his teammates throughout the season. He said he looks forward to integrating these skills at SDSU. “I just think all of our losses during the season were setbacks because every time we lost it wasn’t like we got to get back up, but everyone just took it lightly,” Khurana said. “But I feel once we started to find our groove and get those wins, it really helped us out.”
Senior Karam Khurana Redefines the Game on SDSU’s Lacrosse Field
Hannah Ko
May 17, 2023
Outfielder and sophomore Bianca Morrell hits a triple towards left outfield, allowing her to secure third base. Softball (4-13) won against University High 23-10 on April 27 at the home stadium, officially concluding its season and marking the most wins in program history, according to the PHS Dog Pound Instagram.
Softball Ends Season on a Positive Note with 23-10 Win Against University High
Parmin Zamani
May 8, 2023
Issues
May 2023: Volume 7 Issue 7
May 2023: Volume 7 Issue 7

 

March 2023: Volume 7 Issue 6
March 2023: Volume 7 Issue 6

February 2023: Volume 7 Issue 5
February 2023: Volume 7 Issue 5

January 2023: Volume 7 Issue 4
January 2023: Volume 7 Issue 4

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The student news site of Portola High School
The student news site of Portola High School