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
Students should not participate in academic dishonesty; instead, building habits such as preparing for exams earlier can benefit them in the future.

Academic Dishonesty Undermines One’s Own Future

Mary Lee, Assistant A&E Editor | May 30, 2025

Don’t cheat. Students hear these two words often, whether it may be from a teacher or an academic honesty. Along with the consequences of being reported to the school administration or possible suspension,...

The Irvine City Council is in the process of creating the Irvine Cares Family Housing Assistance Program, aimed primarily at IUSD students and families. “We are hopeful that these housing programs will provide individuals and families the necessary support to create long-term housing sustainability, improve their quality of life, and provide the tools to support their financial needs moving forward,” Irvine Chief Health and Wellness Officer Heather Dion said.

City of Irvine and IUSD Partner to Launch Affordable Housing Program

Dania Yamani, Staff Writer | May 30, 2025

The Irvine City Council approved a partnership with IUSD on April 8 to provide affordable housing to IUSD students and families. Set to launch on July 1, the program is part of the city’s plan to provide...

With the abundance of selective summer experiences, programs and opportunities, the months before summer vacation can feel like a mini college acceptance season as many students bank on these activities to enhance their college application or showcase their potential. However, given the wealth of non-exclusive opportunities such as local internships and merit-based initiatives, these programs shouldn’t be a contention point for a fulfilling experience or acceptance into prestigious universities.

Passion Over Prestige: The Truth About Elite Summer Programs

Suhana Kaur, Staff Writer | May 29, 2025

It usually starts with an email: “Congratulations! You’ve been selected to join our exclusive program.” These messages land in students’ inboxes like golden tickets, promising prestige and opportunity....

Trying The Viral Egg Flight

Trying The Viral Egg Flight

Olivia Ganes and Nina Krish | May 27, 2025

One thing that makes Portola High’s contemporary music program special is the ability for students to harness their creativity, according to instrumental music director Kyle Traska. Fittingly, Pop Performance Ensemble from Ground Wire performed an original song, “Power,” on Friday night. “More than anything, the inspiration was because of how many different people we have in our band,” senior and bass guitarist Megan Brander said. “We really wanted this original song to showcase the different musical tastes of every member. So it was a lot of just trying to incorporate everyone’s style and everyone’s instruments and vocal types.”

Portola High Celebrates Music and Community at Sixth Annual Porchella

Suhana Kaur, Staff Writer | May 27, 2025

Family, friends and music lovers came out to celebrate the culmination of a year of pop music students’ hard work at Portola High’s sixth annual Porchella on May 15 and 16. Like past years, the...

Sophomore Alice Park and senior Leah Sim practice their routine together in front of the Student Union building, improving their skills for competition and also strengthening their community bond. “Marching band is one big family,” Distante said. “We try to enforce good values into our marching band students. We would love for our students to be competitively successful, but at the end of the day, it's way more important to us as music directors that our students come out of the program being courteous and generous and empathetic and respectful and all of those great values that we find in good people.”

Marching Band and Color Guard March Into the New Season With a New Director

Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | May 26, 2025

As marching band begins their pre-season activities for the 2025 field season, the blares of horns, chirps of flutes and sound of flags fluttering in the air can be heard again. Members look forward to...

Physics teacher Ryan Johnson speaks to junior Chloe Chen about the AP Physics and Engineering boat project outside the engineering classroom. In his new classes, Digital Electronics and Honors Engineering Design and Development, Johnson is excited for more hands-on projects. “We'll be able to create products that are directly relevant to society's needs, as opposed to practicing doing something which is what most high schoolers are doing,” Johnson said.

New Year, New Classes: Teachers Introduce Course Changes

Senna Kahf, Staff Writer | May 23, 2025

From policy to programming, several teachers are swapping out their usual lesson plans for fresh opportunities in the classroom next year, bringing in new subjects and student experiences. Social studies...

PinkPantheress released her second mixtape, “Fancy That,” on May 8, her first project since her debut album “Heaven Knows.”

Do You ‘Fancy That?’: PinkPantheress’ New Mixtape Is So Well-Produced, It’s ‘Illegal’

Zoha Syed, Staff Writer | May 23, 2025

English singer-songwriter and producer PinkPantheress released her second mixtape, “Fancy That,” on May 8. The project features nine tracks, each highlighting PinkPantheress’ British upbringing through...

Before his event, senior Brian Nguyen stretches as he prepares to dive into the pool during one of his last meets and opportunities to bond with his swim teammates. “I feel like I've grown more out of the pool, and learning to be a part of a team that really bonds with each other well. And you know, we all hang out. We're good friends,” Nguyen said.

Portola Swim Seniors ‘Splash’ into College

Annie Xiao, Staff Writer | May 23, 2025

After countless practices and exhilarating meets, Portola High's varsity swim seniors prepare to dive into the next chapter of their swim careers as college-bound athletes. This year, seniors Tiffany...

The Envirothon Club's leadership team poses in front of a sign at the NCF-Envirothon tournament in Riverside. “The goal of the Envirothon competition is to learn about natural resource conservation and what we can do to protect the environment,” said Lizardo. “The biggest part of the competition is presenting the plan that would help the natural environment.”

Envirothon Club: Introducing the Eco-friendly Club Cultivating Portola’s Passion for the Environment

May 22, 2025

“I didn’t expect to be shouting tree species’ names at 7 a.m., but that’s how the Envirothon competition began,” freshman Luna Kim said. Making an impact, the Portola Envirothon Club made...

Senior Shifa Harsolia walks along the beach with her surfboard during a PHS Surf and Snow Club meetup. “There's definitely a learning curve for surfing and getting over that hump is when you really enjoy it,” Harsolia said. “And it's hard at first, but if you just stay mentally present and keep going, it becomes much more rewarding.”

Making Waves: Meet the Bulldogs Who Surf

Marianne Chan, Assistant Opinion Editor | May 22, 2025

Between juggling school work and extracurriculars, three Bulldogs find time to ride the waves outside of school. For some, surfing is a weekend hobby; for others, it's a way to stay active — but...

Students should try to stop discussing academics to promote a more positive learning environment for their peers.

Don’t Be Nosy — Keep Academics to Yourself

Kayley Winata, Centerspread Editor | May 21, 2025

“What’s your SAT? What did you get on the last test? What colleges are you applying to?” These are some of the many academically oriented questions that Portola High students hear daily. Comparing...

  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. ...
  11. 155
Donate to Portola Pilot
$260
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Menu
Activate Search
The student news site of Portola High School
Showcase