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
Offshore wind energy is a key example of the complexities of renewable energy sources. The public should interpret the word “renewable” with caveats as there are many side effects, both positive and negative, along with a lack of information surrounding the newer technologies that fall under this category.

Renewable Energy Sources Are Not As Straightforward As You May Think

Mary Lee, Assistant A&E Editor | October 28, 2024

Electric cars, solar power and wind energy are often associated with ideas of green, clean energy that is beneficial and untainted in all aspects.  However, when consuming and discussing alternatives...

Class Council displays each homecoming build built for the four class themes before debuting their dance during the homecoming halftime show against University High. Each grade level was assigned a Pixar movie, where freshman had "The Incredibles," sophomores "Monsters Inc.," juniors "Cars," and seniors "Toy Story.” “Class Council started getting involved in the beginning of the school year.” Spanish teacher and Class Council advisor Otto Lopez said. “Once they found out the theme, they started doing the backdrop build. They started choreographing the dance. They started thinking about outfits and costumes to wear.”

Class Council Arranges for Pixar-Themed Homecoming Dance

Nora Aljazzar, Staff Writer | October 25, 2024

ASB and class council have been preparing for Homecoming since the end of last school year. The theme spanning this year’s dance was Pixar, and each class was assigned a Pixar-themed movie to represent...

Senior Hau Le takes the lead as the students featured in the fall play ‘Puffs’ introduce themselves while clad in yellow costumes, configured by Tech Theatre. “Closing night, the audience was fantastic. I remember the end scene, the battle scene, people were screaming, people were laughing,” Sally Perks and sophomore Coco Marshall said.

Portola High Fall Play “Puffs”: A Silly Spin On the Story of Hufflepuffs at Hogwarts Charms Audience

Siri Kolanupaka and Sruti Allani | October 24, 2024

The Advanced Drama and Tech Theatre classes performed their rendition of “Puffs: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic” by Matt Cox as the fall play. The show was a phenomenal...

Student Teacher David Pulanco leads the treble and bass choir through warmups at the beginning of class. “Probably my favorite thing about the students at Portola is how dedicated they are to the program,” Pulanco said. “They really love working for the music. They really love working hard to get the music done. It's a passion that I don't see a lot of in students.”

A Rising Voice: Student Teacher David Pulanco’s Journey to Portola High

Nicole Ferguson and Nina Krish | October 23, 2024

With a growing choir program that continues to expand at Portola High, student teacher and California State Fullerton student David Pulanco currently assists choir director Adrian Rangel-Sanchez. Pulanco...

This is an example of the type of AI-generated image (created by Midjourney) that has been used on social media platforms like X, Instagram and Facebook in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Although it is easier than the actual fake hurricane images to prove these images are fake because of the pixelated nose, it is still important to practice media literacy to be able to recognize deepfakes such as these.

Do Not Fall into the ‘Storm’ of AI Generation

Nora Aljazzar and Stephanie Hwang | October 22, 2024

After Hurricane Milton stormed Florida’s west coast, fake Artificial Intelligence-generated images are being circulated on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. One video, garnering 1.5...

Gage Peterson and Sasha Lo are looking forward to an exciting year as Portola High counselors. “I think they're a great fit for our team,” Assistant Principal Jen Ochsner said. “I just hope that our students continue to feel supported by all of our counseling staff.”

Meet Gage Peterson and Sasha Lo: New Counselors Join the Bulldog Team

Sruti Allani and Catherine Li | October 21, 2024

With the new year comes new friends, new classes and for some, new counselors. After a recent increase in the student population at Portola High combined with the departure of former counselor Nicole Epres,...

YAT leader, Youth Outreach Program member and junior Chloe Chen hands a registration form to senior Morgan Tien during the voter registration drive on Oct. 10. “It's important that all levels of our government and our community [are accessible] to more people because we see today [there are] some restrictions in different areas of the country and people being more dissatisfied with the government,” YAT leader, Youth Outreach member and senior Aaron Owens said. “We want people to have a chance to connect with their government, to actually make a change that they want to see.”

Annual Voter Registration Drive Spurs Action

Marianne Chan, Assistant Opinion Editor | October 18, 2024

The City of Irvine’s Youth Outreach Program collaborated with the Portola High School Youth Action Team to host its annual voter registration drive for students 16 years and older on Oct. 10. The...

Leanna Roman and Kylie Nguyen prepare for their Oct. 2 practice after school. They interact with the entire team before even the warm-ups begin. “We’re on the court as a family,” according to Roman.

Meet the Captains: How the Girls’ Tennis Team Rises to Success

Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | October 16, 2024

To girls’ tennis captains and juniors Kylie Nguyen and Leanna Roman, fostering a close-knit community for their players is a key component of the team’s success. To perform well, teamwork is a must...

Podcast founder and senior Ivan Bascos gathers around the table with his friends, preparing to discuss vital topics. “I want listeners to know that their voice is heard. I want all of them to know that they are able to speak about these things, and whatever they say is valid,” Bascos said.

Tuned In: Senior Ivan Bascos Finds his Voice Behind the Mic

Kailyn Clark and Olivia Ganes | October 16, 2024

During a time when podcasting has become a platform for voices of all kinds, senior Ivan Bascos has carved his own space in the digital world. By creating his own podcast, “The Real Talking Stage,”...

Vocalist of Crocs ‘N’ Socks and junior Suah Yang bundles up in a cardigan and black sunglasses for the cozy “Sweater Weather” by The Neighbourhood. “I’ve loved to sing since I was a little kid,” Yang said. “I’ve been doing choir for a long time, but last year Mr. Traska was like, ‘oh why don’t you do studio music,’ because I love to perform pop songs, and with a band. Performing it gives me joy because expressing my feelings through music is really fun.”

A Showdown for the Ages: Student Bands Rock the Stage

Claire Liu and Annie Xiao | October 15, 2024

The contemporary pop department held their annual Battle of the Rock Bands in the amphitheater on Oct. 5. This year, the department experimented with a voting format through Instagram analytics, which...

Tight end offensive player, punter and linebacker junior Maxwell Mapstone and linebacker, wide receiver and junior Malachi Moore pursue a Woodbridge High player as he attempts to score a touchdown. “Our strategy was to stop the play action passes and not let the quarterback get out of the pocket because he was pretty fast, and we did a really good job at that,” tight end offensive and defensive player and senior Anthony Riccardi said.

Boys’ Football Conquers Woodbridge High in First League Game

Stephanie Hwang and Marianne Chan | October 15, 2024

Football (1-5) won 27-6 against Woodbridge High at home on Oct. 4 in its first league game of the season. The next game was scheduled for Oct. 11 against Katella High. “It was just kind of icing on...

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

The Learning Commons is far more than a quiet study corner — it is shaped by two staff members with a deep passion for reading — a place where every student can find something meaningful. As former...

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