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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

The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory at Irvine Spectrum boasts Halloween-themed candy apples and marshmallows dipped in chocolate.

Say Hello to Boo-tiful Halloween Treats!

Julia Kim, Co-Editor-In-Chief | October 23, 2018

As fall’s presence slowly makes its appearance, the best way to celebrate Halloween is to enjoy the beautiful array of treats displayed on the walls. The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is one of...

Captain and junior Kaveh Wojtowich leads the football team onto the field before the Forthcoming Game against University

Bulldogs’ First Year as Fall Varsity Athletes

Ajinkya Rane and Farhad Taraporevala | October 22, 2018

For the first year, athletics is competing across the board in varsity sports. Girls golf, volleyball and tennis, along with boys water polo, football and both boys and girls cross country are the sports...

The new buildings that opened this year added an extra area for students to learn, while also creating more space around campus.

New Portions Opened on Campus

Ava Caleca, Social Media Specialist | October 22, 2018

The 1000 and 900 buildings on campus opened this year with the goal of expanding the number of classrooms in order to accommodate the growing number of students and teaching staff. The previous buildings...

Members of Rising Dynamics practice their rendition of “For the Longest Time” by Billy Joel. While the song was originally sung with all-male parts, the female voices add a much richer harmony overall, making this song more popular amongst a cappella groups.

No Instruments Required: Portola High’s First A Cappella Group

Helena Hu and Annie Qiao | October 19, 2018

With melodious voices rising and falling in beautiful phrases, the soprano, alto, tenor and bass lines blend in harmony for the musical arrangement. The members of Rising Dynamics, Portola High’s first...

Sophomores Kate Hiyashi and Jordan Amlen are directors of Classline this year, which Hayashi began spring 2018. Since then, the team has created dozens of study guides and articles.

Classline: Keeping Studying Classy

Jordan Lee, Front Page Editor | October 17, 2018

“Let's get through high school together,” reads Classline’s homepage. Classline, formerly known as the empathy project Instatutors, is a club whose goal is to help students enjoy their high school...

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

This year at Portola, our school will begin its process to become an accredited school through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). WASC is a statewide body tasked with accrediting public...

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 16, 2018

In its first field tournament of the year, the Pride of Portola (marching band and color guard) competed at the Tesoro High Field Tournament on Oct.6. Scoring first in division 3A. With a unique theme...

With a bigger ASB budget, students enjoyed the open atmosphere outside of the Student Union. ASb brought in a larger DJ setup, with spotlights, light towers and an entire food truck.

Forthcoming Dance Breaks Records with 510 Attendees

Nicholas Hung, Staff Writer | October 15, 2018

For the first time, the Forthcoming dance on Oct. 6 took place outside of the Student Union, with an elaborate DJ stage, dance floor and photo booth set up in front of the 900 building. From 7 p.m. to...

Sophomore and pre-trial attorney Joanna Fan looks over Mock Trial case law in order to compose her first amendment argument for the 2018-2019 case on criminal threatening and swatting.

From the Classroom to the Courtroom: A Spotlight on Mock Trial

Tiffany Wu and Dylan Vanek | October 12, 2018

In the Santa Ana Courthouse, Mock Trial makes its way up the ivory white staircase, ready to don heavily-rehearsed character forms and play a part in pre-determined cases set by the Constitutional Rights...

Staff Editorial: Cutting Out Club Redundancy

Staff Editorial: Cutting Out Club Redundancy

October 12, 2018

Whether students are searching for volunteer opportunities in Key Club, progressing toward a competition with Science Olympiad or simply having fun with indoor soccer, clubs are an essential aspect of...

The PSAT/NMSQT, or the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, will open up new opportunities for both Portola High and its students.

Juniors Take The PSAT/NMSQT

Jenny Won, Business Team | October 12, 2018

The PSAT was administered to juniors at Portola High on Oct. 10.  As this was Portola’s first year with juniors, the exam was a new experience for students and teachers alike. While students had the...

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