Skip to Main Content
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

Physical education teacher and assistant football coach Desmond Hernandez attempts a golf course on a summer trip to Hawaii in 2019. Sports such as golf have helped Hernandez stay disciplined and develop a structured routine for staying active, according to Hernandez.

Jacks of All Trades: Talented Teachers Take on Multiple Sports

Madeline Chung | June 1, 2023

Mastering a sport can require years of practice and dedication, yet these teachers are aces in a plethora of different sports. With extensive athletic backgrounds, they have tested both their physical...

Junior Yasmine Cheng first designed the senior mural by hand for the Class of 2024, which represents birds soaring over the sky. “I was just thinking of being free, being independent, choosing your own path, and when we leave high school, we basically can set our own course,” Cheng said. “I was trying to draw this piece and how I reflected on my past few years at this school.”

Soaring over the Sky: Junior Yasmine Cheng Creates Senior Mural for Class of 2024

Arshia Sista and Shaina Taebi | June 1, 2023

  Painted across from the ASB classroom is the senior mural for the class of 2023. Every year, this standing mural is repainted to honor and represent the graduating class. Now, as the year approaches...

Sophomore Lulu Zhao, junior Natalie Song, junior Jawad Khadra and sophomore Jimin Han received the CTE Bulldog Excellence Awards, which is granted to students who demonstrate PRIDE values while taking advantage of opportunities to pursue their career interests, according to the Bulldog Excellence Award pamphlet.

Jadyn Zdanavage Named Bulldog of the Year at Annual Bulldog Awards Ceremony

Skyller Liu and Arshia Sista | May 30, 2023

Wrapping up a year of accomplishment, achievement and success, the annual Bulldog Excellence and Senior Award ceremonies recognized Bulldogs who consistently represented PRIDE values and academic...

The front of the gallery displayed paintings and sketches from Portola High students. Teachers from each school in Irvine Unified selected a few students’ artwork for awards. “I think it's just a huge honor to be able to now say that I have some students whose artwork has been shown in the museum,” visual arts teacher Kearci Thompson said.

Portola High Hosts Inaugural District Honors Art Show

Ruhi Samudra and Parmin Zamani | May 30, 2023

Students from across the district filled the Student Union with excitement and awe, showing off sketches and paintings to their families. Boundless creativity among students in grades pre-K-to-12 sparked...

Among the many new gameplay mechanics introduced to “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom” by the Zonai Devices, the “ultrahand” and “fuse” abilities rely on the player’s ingenuity in crafting.

‘Tears of the Kingdom’ is a Crowning Achievement for the Zelda Series with a ‘Master-Handful’ of New Content to Explore

Tyler Kim and Skyller Liu | May 26, 2023

The Game Award winner for Video Game of the Year. SXSW winner for Excellence in Design. Golden Joystick winner for Best Audio. The preceding list, while seemingly vast, is just a fraction of the many...

Online marketplaces have been steadily accelerating in scope, with over 431.4 billion dollars worth of sales being on the internet in 2022, according to Forbes. Despite seeming like a positive, this shift has caused innumerable destruction to physical stores.

Brick and Mortar Stores Should Remain a Staple of the Consumer Model

Tara Vatandoust, A&E Editor | May 26, 2023

Party City. The Disney Store. Toys “R” Us. What do these stores all have in common? They all fell victim to the epidemic of online shopping: their physical locations removed, their operations reduced...

3759X members and juniors Pranav Patlola,  Martin Pan, Adrianne Chang and Audrey Kim from Fairmont Prep pose with their fourth place winning robot at the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas. Eight hundred teams qualified for the world championship out of about 20,000 states teams, according to Pan.

Robotics Team 3759X Builds its Way to World Championships

Hannah Ko and Maya Tedini | May 24, 2023

In a whirlwind of gears, intricate circuits and unyielding determination, independent high school robotics team 3759X forged its way to the pinnacle of innovation by securing fourth place in the prestigious...

Karl Lagerfeld made insensitive comments about women in addition to fatphobic comments. In the midst of the #MeToo women’s rights movement, Lagerfeld was accused of sexually harassing models, according to Vox. “If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery, there’ll always be a place for you in the convent,” Lagerfeld said in response.

Karl Lagerfeld’s Legacy Should not be Celebrated

Shaina Taebi, Centerspread Editor | May 23, 2023

“No one wants to see a curvy woman,” former creative director of Chanel Karl Lagerfeld said to Spiegel in 2009. The German designer began his fashion career in the 1950s working as a designer. Despite...

Lauren Van (right) paved the way for her younger sister Hailey Van (left) to start dancing. “When I was younger, I would always watch my sister doing ballet,” Hailey Van said. “My mom said that I was really interested in doing it, so she signed me up, too.”

Dance Duo: Sisters Hailey and Lauren Van Connect through Shared Talent

Maya Tedini and Parmin Zamani | May 22, 2023

Sophomore Hailey Van and her sister, senior Lauren Van, gracefully make their way onto the Portola High amphitheater. They find one another’s gaze from opposite wings of the stage, offering looks of...

Donate to Portola Pilot
$235
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Activate Search
The student news site of Portola High School
Showcase