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

Taylor Swift released her re-recorded album, “1989,” on Oct. 29. The birds on her original album cover were “trapped” on her shirt, but here, they are flying freely, demonstrating the freedom she gained after the fight with her previous label.

Rediscover the Resilience: Get Ready For a Nostalgic Journey Through ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’

Elizabeth Gao, Staff Writer | November 7, 2023

Embrace the rhythm of nostalgia and embark on a captivating journey through Taylor Swift’s re-recorded album “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” which was released on Oct. 27. Alongside familiar tracks...

Freshmen Aman Talib and Paxton Shum paint rocks at Tuesday’s lunchtime activity set up by ASB. Students of all grade levels gathered in the quad to paint rocks with their friends.

ASB Promotes a Drug-Free Lifestyle Through Red Ribbon Week

Nina Krish and Elise Ngo | November 6, 2023

Red Ribbon Week took place from Oct. 23-27 to highlight the importance of living drug-free. The annual drug prevention campaign included various activities such as School Resource Officer Melissa Porter...

Wrongfully convicted of 10-year-old Marcus Tumble’s murder, Jonathan Mollusk (freshman Zubin Bhatia) is pinned to the floor by Tumble’s father (sophomore Alex Lingerfelt) and another assailant, where they proceed to drown him in retribution. In the background, an evidence board — commonly associated with people who have unhealthy obsessions with crime cases — underscores the dubious verdict of Mollusk’s guiltiness.

Fall Play Captures Audience In a ‘Trap’ of Their Own Making

Marianne Chan, Staff Writer | November 3, 2023

A ray of silver mist enveloped the red-clad figure of Ensemble One (senior Kate Abalos) as she uttered the opening lines of ‘Trap’ by Stephen Gregg, beginning a night of twists, turns and psychological...

With the early registration, students feel pressured by CollegeBoard to spend their money on an exam they may not take.

AP-ush Exams: Early Registration Hurts More Than Helps

Stephanie Hwang, Assistant News Editor | November 3, 2023

As AP exam registration starts early in the year, students stress over having to make $110 to $150 commitments when they are unsure whether they want to take the exam. AP exam registration should start...

Izzy Macasero congratulates teammate and senior Madison Curran after scoring a point. “Mac has incredible energy and positivity that she brings onto the court,” head coach Eric Graham said. “She always has a smile on her face. Shes always looking out for her teammates, doing whatever she can to lift them up and have them be successful.”

Junior Izzy Macasero Keeps Up Team Spirit De-‘spike’ the Odds

Olivia Ganes and Nina Krish | November 2, 2023

Constantly inspiring others and supporting players on the court with her positive attitude, meet the girls’ volleyball team captain and libero, junior Isabelle “Izzy” Macasero. During a challenging...

A Chipotle team member rolls a burrito while the automated makeline assembles a bowl. Burritos, tacos, quesadillas and kids meals can be made above the makeline while the automated system creates bowls and salads.

Bowls, Salads and Automation: A Look Into Chipotle’s New Digital Makeline Currently Being Tested in Irvine

Tyler Kim, Co-Editor-in-Chief | November 1, 2023

It is nearly impossible to be a Portola High student without knowing of Chipotle. A few are employed at the local Woodbury Town Center Chipotle location; some have parents working corporate jobs at Chipotle’s...

Cinephile and science teacher Michael Tang spends time with his podcast group, Job Ang, Paul Hsu and Albert Liu. “I believe that I am the Nick Fury of this group,” Tang said. “I assembled this group, and these are people that Ive met over the years. I had all these individual chats, so I started this group chat. Not everyone was friends with each other, but now we’ll watch movies together; we’ll hang out with each other.”

An Update: Where is Cinephile and Science Teacher Michael Tang Now?

Catherine Li and Ruhi Samudra | November 1, 2023

Two years ago, Portola Pilot interviewed cinephile and science teacher Michael Tang to unravel his love for the silver screen. Today, his film enthusiast persona (and Letterboxd) continue to grow through...

Under the moon’s glow every Halloween, children fill the streets in their venture to pack their trick-or-treat baskets to the brim. Within every bag lies clear winners (and losers), each candy a sentimental link to our favorite memories or stark reminder that our taste buds will be left disappointed.

A Halloween Hierarchy: ‘Unwrapping’ the Best and Worst Spooky Season Treats

Ruhi Samudra and Parmin Zamani | October 31, 2023

10. Butterfingers The only remarkable thing about Butterfingers is that they somehow always manage to taste like they have been sitting in the back of someone’s pantry since last year’s Halloween....

Senior Haniya Hassaan and juniors Zoe Nguyen and Anaika Nagireddy prepared their sports and entertainment marketing presentation for a panel of judges. Students were given 10 minutes to prepare for their event and were split into groups of two to three attendees.

Students Stay ‘Busy’ in Portola Business Club’s Fourth Annual Mini-Conference

Aditi Salunkhe and Mary Lee | October 30, 2023

Portola Business Club held its fourth annual student-led mini-conference on Oct. 21 in the Student Union, which attracted approximately 70 attendees from Irvine High and Portola High. The conference exposed...

Senior Amber Lea practices her trumpet in the music room during office hours. In the Fall Instrumental Concert, Lea performed a trumpet solo that won praise from her peers and mentors. “Every time we were just blown away because the amount of projection that she had, the amount of confidence and just her tone, it just felt so mature for someone that only played the instrument for that long,” Nguyen said.

Amber Lea puts Mozart to rest with her ability to play eleven instruments

Shaina Taebi, Backpage Editor | October 29, 2023

The sounds of strings plucking, woodwinds bellowing and piano dampers creaking surrounded senior Amber Lea’s ears for the majority of her life. Lea is capable of playing a total of eleven instruments:...

Boys’ water polo captain, two-meter starting player and junior Luke Porter prepares to score a goal against Long Beach Poly High in the third quarter of a non-league match. “Im really happy with how Ive grown as a player,” Porter said. “I actually switched positions once I came to high school, and Ive really grown a lot since I started so thats been really cool.”

From Splash to Success: Boys’ Water Polo Captains Answer Questions About Teamwork

Sonia Wang and Mia Jong | October 27, 2023

A chorus of shouts. Ripples of foamy wake. A ball sailing through the air. This is boys’ water polo, a game of constant ebbing and flowing that hinges on communication. To understand how and why...

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