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
Sophomore Cara Lin holds up one of her artworks next to the scene she painted. An experienced plein-air painter, Lin enjoyed meeting with friends and seeing her art improve from last year. “I’m proud of my art having changed,” Lin said. “It’s good that it’s different; I don’t want it to stay the same.”

Beachside Art: Advanced Visual Artists Attend Plein-Air Trip in Little Corona

Catherine Li, Staff Writer | October 9, 2023

Next to golden sands and blue waters, visual art students demonstrated their skill once again during their first field trip of the year on Oct. 1, showcasing their talent for observation and adaptability...

Mid-autumn festival volunteer and sophomore Nollie Chen passes out Pocky snacks to festival attendees. “It’s important for these cultural events that bring people together to have food, not just as an incentive to come together but as something to bond over,” Chen said. “For a lot of people, food is culture, and it’s what brings people together.”

Guests ‘Moon’ Over Culture at the Great Park Mid-Autumn Festival

Alice Ahn and Kayley Winata | October 9, 2023

Friends and family gathered in the Great Park to celebrate East and Southeast Asian culture and tradition at the City of Irvine’s Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept. 29. Local sponsors and organizations...

Junior Vivian Lu reads three original poems as part of the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop, located at Kenyon College. Lu is interested in creative writing and English literature and hopes to expand these interests in her ancient literature club, which she started this year.

Is There Such a Thing as ‘Talent’? Portola High’s Top Achievers Answer

Michael Sun, Assistant Arts and Entertainment Editor | October 6, 2023

It is unsurprising to many that Portola High’s student body is not average. With many students matriculating to top-ranked universities each year, such as the Ivy League, according to Naviance, there...

Dance and French teacher Megan Kirby instructs Dance 1 students on the proper form and technique of pique turns. “There's a lot of learning from mistakes involved and developing skill[s] and having a growth mindset,” Kirby said.

French Teacher Megan Kirby ‘Turns’ to the Dance Studio

Mary Lee and Aditi Salunkhe | October 5, 2023

When dance and French teacher Megan Kirby began her career at Portola High in 2016, her classes mainly consisted of VAPA-related courses: French 1, Dance 1, Technical Theater and Drama 1. However, she...

Chao spikes and attacks the ball down and scores a point in the second set with an assist from setter and junior Lana Nguyen. The girls will next play at Woodbridge High on Oct. 5.

Girls’ Volleyball Concludes Pre-League Season in Landslide Win Against Laguna Hills High

Nina Krish | October 4, 2023

Noah Paniagua and Shion Homma, the drum major and assistant drum major respectively, share jokes with one another during their break. Paniagua said that being a member of a marching band has been a lifelong dream of his. “I just grew up always wanting to be a part of a marching band, so I came into high school and joined the marching band, always trying to look for a leadership role,” Paniagua said. “Whether I’m the section leader or the drum major, I always wanted to see what I could do.”

Conducting Success: Meet Drum Major Noah Paniagua

Tyler Kim, Co-Editor-in-Chief | October 3, 2023

A wicker hat, a Pride of Portola jacket and two gloves. That’s all that drum major and senior Noah Paniagua needs in order to conduct, lead and direct over 100 students in the Portola High Marching Band....

ASB hosted Portola High’s annual Homecoming Dance on Sept. 23. Seniors Lena Cho, Ivy Nunez, Kristy So and Audrey Yung dance to the song “Y.M.C.A.” by the Village People.

Portola High Students Experience an ‘Epic’ Homecoming

Aditi Salunkhe, Assistant Sports Editor | October 3, 2023

In her singles match, freshman Mia Lichtenstein gets ready to serve the ball across the net to win a point and her match overall. Though singles and doubles were strong at the beginning of their matches, the team is always looking to improve, according to interim head coach Maithy Do. “We’re always improving on doubles, closing in at mid, closing the point at net and just movement in general,” Do said.

Girls’ Tennis ‘Serves’ Victory Against Laguna Hills High

Stephanie Hwang | October 2, 2023

Girls’ tennis (8-0) defeated Laguna Hills High 15-3 in a home match on Sept. 19. Six wins were out of the singles’ bracket, and nine wins were in the doubles’ bracket. Their next match will be on...

Portola High is packed to the brim with interesting teachers inside the classroom, but how much do students know about their favorite teachers’ outside of the classroom? Here are some traditions and interests held by a few of these entertaining instructors:

The Secret Life of Teachers: Portola High Teachers’ Unique Interests and Special Traditions

Tara Vatandoust, Co-Editor-in-Chief | October 2, 2023

With parking permit prices at $80 dollars a year at Portola High, students should not be paying such a high amount and staff members should thoroughly check the cars in the parking lot for permits. If permits were affordable, parking spaces would fill up and others would not gain an unfair advantage over students who actually paid for the permit at full price.

Permit Prices: Why Our Parking System Needs Improvement

Claire Chan and Marianne Chan | October 2, 2023

Earning a driver’s license can be tedious for Portola High students. It requires a driver’s education class, permit test and the behind the wheel test. Imagine completing those requirements, only to...

Wide receiver and sophomore Zoe Del Rosario attempts to evade two of Northwood High’s players as they try to pull her flag. To improve for future games, head flag football coach Julie Primero said that the team needs to work on their catching and communication with each other.

Flag Football’s Tough Loss Shapes Goals for the Rest of the Season

Maya Tedini and Parmin Zamani | October 2, 2023

Flag football (4-10-1) lost 0-21 in a home game against Northwood High on Sept. 25. Their next game is a home game on Oct. 9 against Woodbridge High. During the first half, the Bulldogs had less offensive...

Freshman Kristi Harig sprints to the end of the three mile course in the freshman girls race at the Woodbridge Classic on Sept. 15. “Before the race, I was super nervous, which is the same with all races,” Harig said. “But thanks to the upperclassmen, I was reminded that it's okay and that I trained for this. Just put in the work and you'll be fine.”

Cross Country Bridges the Path to Success at Woodbridge Classic

Madeline Chung | September 29, 2023

Freshmen girls, freshmen boys, sophomore girls and sophomore boys placed second, seventh, second and third respectively at the annual Woodbridge Classic on Sept. 15, blazing past the finish line of...

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