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
“I think most people want to know the answer to whether it can be prevented,” physics teacher Charity Lizardo said. “So they can start looking into similar facilities that may or may not be near their homes to see what can be prevented. I know that there's a criminal investigation going on against the aerospace company that this happened with.”
Chemical Leak in Garden Grove Prompts Emergency Response
Tamara Bradley and Nicole Ferguson | June 2, 2026
Beach-themed sculptures, paintings and handmade cooking tools including spoons and decorative bottles are displayed along the waterfront promenade during the Balboa Island Artwalk. “Before visiting the Balboa Island Artwalk, I used to think art was mainly something beautiful to look at but not very practical,” junior Kaili Lin said. “But, after seeing a variety of artworks, especially the artistic cooking tools, I realized art can be both meaningful and useful while still being memorable.”
Balboa Island Artwalk Celebrates 31st Annual Showcase
Jinseo Hong, Centerspread Editor | May 28, 2026
People of Portola High
Senior Hannah Rhim connected to a younger audience by using rhyming words on each page paired with colorful illustrations. However, coming up with character design was more challenging at first. “The character design was a little hard because I wanted to give characteristics to the character so that it is very identifiable, but at the same time I can't make it too complicated for when I start drawing it,” Rhim said.
Senior Hannah Rhim Writes Her Way to Children’s Book Publication
Emma Chen, Staff Writer | November 7, 2025
Junior Averie Mckinley poses in Decora-kei fashion. “My style is called Decora,” Mckinley said. “It’s when you decorate yourself [with] a bunch of accessories everywhere, so I could cover my whole head in clips, or put a bunch of bracelets and necklaces on. The whole thing is to be very over the top decorated.”
Accessories, Patterns and Layers: The Unique Styles of Portola High Students
Kelly Yeh and Sophia Kim | October 28, 2025
On the bottom right, senior Chloe Im paints a miniature record player for her latest project while filming the process for her Instagram page, @mini_create3. Shown on the bottom left, Im made tiny waffles and coffee from polymer clay. She often gets inspiration from materials she already has at home, making the craft sustainable as well. “Recently, I made a bowl of cereal because I realized I had these beads that looked like Fruit Loops,” Im said. “But it’s just what I have time to do, and what materials I have.”
Senior Chloe Im Turns Big Ideas Into Mini Creations
Annie Xiao and Suhana Kaur | October 17, 2025
Interim SRO Justin Russell looks forward to bringing safety and security to Portola High. “There’s a lot of different things that happen on high school campuses,” Russell said. “If I can help mitigate some of those issues or some of those crises, whether be the counseling staff or the mental health staff or provide additional resources through the police department or anything like that, then I want to be kind of a gateway to helping get those problems solved.”
Supporting Students and Keeping them Safe: Meet Interim Student Resource Officer Justin Russell
Mary Lee, Managing Editor | October 2, 2025
Decorative Background
Multimedia
S6 Episode 2 – Celebrating Women in Sports
S6 Episode 2 – Celebrating Women in Sports
Mason Truong and Leon Tak | March 20, 2026

In this episode of the Portola Pioneer, hosts Mason Truong and Leon Tak explore the careers of 3 women in Portola High sports. Music credits: Lofi...

Come Try Din Tai Fung's New Location at Irvine Spectrum With Us!
Come Try Din Tai Fung’s New Location at Irvine Spectrum With Us!
Kayley Winata, Nina Krish, Olivia Ganes, and Zoha Syed | February 24, 2026

Features
Junior Genevie Nguyen poses in front of Disneyland castles. “If I could change one thing about Disney, I think I will add more scary attractions in Adventure Park,” Kim said
From the Classroom to Happiest Place on Earth: Students Who Love to Go to Disney Parks
Jinseo Hong, Centerspread Editor | June 1, 2026
Students often come into math teacher Ran Gu’s room to help take apart Lego for him to sell. It has evolved into a perfect win-win: students get a fun brain break, and Gu gets a head start on his next big project.
Math Teacher Ran Gu Builds Classroom Community Through Legos
Jabez Lee and Edward Hoi | May 28, 2026
Arts & Entertainment
Best Ice Cream in Irvine!
June 8, 2026
From the introspective tunes of Blood Orange to the upbeat rap of Tyler, the Creator, this ultimate playlist has the perfect mix of songs to guarantee a harmonious summer.
The Soundtrack of Summer 2026
Sruti Allani, Back Page Editor | May 27, 2026
Summer is the best time to crack open a book and enjoy some reading. Here are our book recommendations for this summer.
Fiction Summer Reading Recommendations
Nora Aljazzar, Assistant News Editor | May 21, 2026
Opinion
The gap between sports organizations and their loyal supporter base widens as major ticket distribution systems push everyday fans away in favor of the highest bidders.
Corporate Greed is Pricing Real Fans Out of the Game
Jabez Lee, Staff Writer | May 26, 2026
Shakespeare is still culturally relevant today and is crucial to continue reading beyond within school. “With learning about Shakespeare, it’s always nice to see the history of books that are being released today,” junior Mackenzie Hattar said. “Kind of like where they gain inspiration from. It's always good to understand the origin, and where you can source your inspiration to write from.”
Students should engage with Shakespeare beyond the classroom
Nicole Ferguson and Siri Kolanupaka | May 20, 2026
Even when the world faces deep turmoil, hope provides the unity needed to overcome crisis. “Hope is important because it helps people unite together and work together for things they’re passionate about,” sophomore Tia Nilaver said.
Hope is needed for a better humanity
Leon Tak, Staff Writer | May 20, 2026
Performers appreciate audience encouragement, but being socially aware is crucial, according to Philharmonic Orchestra violinist and sophomore Audrey Lee. “Oftentimes, we’ll be putting people on stage for the next set, and students who are friends of those musicians walking on stage will feel like it's a good idea to shout and yell their name and cheer for that person,” instrumental music director Desmond Stevens said. “It’s wonderful, but it's not kind of the expectation of the art form.”
Instrumental Concerts Should be Respectful, Not Rowdy!
Sophia Kim, Front page Editor | May 13, 2026
Sports
Sophomore Ethan Choo and his teammates celebrate their win at the All United States Kendo Federation Junior Nationals.
Sophomore Ethan Choo Represents Team USA in Kendo
Dania Yamani and Kelly Yeh | May 21, 2026
At this years NBA Playoffs the New York Knicks have been experiencing one of their most statistically dominant playoff runs in NBA history, according to the National Basketball Association.
This Year’s NBA Playoff Predictions
Nora Aljazzar, Assistant News Editor | May 17, 2026
Issues
May 2026: Volume 10 Issue 7

 

April 2026: Volume 10 Issue 6
April 2026: Volume 10 Issue 6

 

February 2026: Volume 10 Issue 5
February 2026: Volume 10 Issue 5

 

January 2026: Volume 10 Issue 4
January 2026: Volume 10 Issue 4

 

Humor
Night owls and early birds are nature’s greatest rivals, locked in a battle as old as time. Who will come out on top?
Early Birds or Night Owls?
Katelyn Wong and Annie Xiao | June 3, 2026

To be an early bird or a night owl — one of life’s greatest dilemmas, rivaling “to be or not to be.” Let’s take a peek into the daily...

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