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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

Freshman Mourya Nunna applies fertilizer to an orange tree while volunteering at Farm and Food Lab on Oct. 6. Farm and Food Lab club members bond and cooperate under the supervision of executive director of Farm and Food Lab at Great Park Nathan Gipple.

The Farm and Food Lab Club Cultivates Passion for Farming

Martin Yoon, Staff Writer | December 10, 2021

Baseball caps on, a garden hose to their left and buckets of fertilizer to their right, freshmen plod back to the rows of orange trees, squinting from the sunshine. The Farm and Food Lab Club holds...

Long-term math substitute teacher Eugene Hung (right) was a featured panelist at the KPCC panel in May 2018 where he discussed the impact of the #MeToo movement on faith communities. In addition to his work as a speaker, Hung has written for various faith-based and secular publications, such as the Huffington Post, Sojourners, Red Letter Christians and Christians for Biblical Equality.

Shattering the Silence

Claudia Lin and Kayla Moshayedi | December 9, 2021

Content warning: This article contains information on domestic violence and sexual assault. Silence engulfs the crowded auditorium at the 2019 Christians for Biblical Equality International Conference...

Larger papers overshadow local ones and, in response, many local papers end up disappearing or becoming what is known as “ghost newspapers:” publications whose staff is so small that it becomes nearly impossible to publish articles regularly.

Breaking News: Read your Local Newspaper

Charlotte Cao, Features Editor | December 8, 2021

Tucked into the corner of my bedroom is a bookshelf engulfed by a pile of newspapers. The heady scent of fresh ink has worn off. Their slightly-perforated edges have curled, despite careful handling.  Over...

Choir student teacher Nina Crecia conducts Cantabella choir at the “Homeward Bound” choir concert on Oct. 15. In the future, Crecia said she hopes to cultivate a program for high school students titled “Every Choir Should Have a Song,” inviting students to share why they joined choir and their passion for singing.

From Children’s Story to Classical Stage: Choir Student Teacher Nina Crecia Composes Opera Based on ‘The Little Prince’

Charlotte Cao and Claudia Lin | December 7, 2021

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye," writes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in his beloved novel “The Little Prince.”  If love affords sight,...

Youth are often not held completely responsible for their crimes, especially first degree felonies like homicide and sexual offenses. The number of juveniles receiving a life sentence without parole dropped 6% even though the number of serious youth crimes increased by 13% within the past five years, according to New York Times.

Setting a Standard: Trying Juveniles for First-Degree Assaults

Dheeksha Bhima Reddy and Arnav Chandan | December 6, 2021

Children are often taught from an early age that actions have consequences, yet our current justice system fails to establish this principle. By treating violent juvenile offenders with disproportionate...

15. Coat the top of your cake with the cake crumbles. You can also decorate your cake with any leftover whipping cream you might have. Enjoy your sweet potato cake!

A Korean Sweet Potato Cake Recipe to Spice up Your Fall

Celine Lee, Co-News Editor | December 1, 2021

Korean sweet potato cake, or “Goguma cake” in Korean, is a layered cake with sweet potato filling and whipped cream. In contrast with American sweet potato cakes, Korean sweet potato cakes are...

Tustin High School juniors and seniors who have prior Model United Nations experience judge the delegates based on the quality of their position paper, debate and overall participation.

Portola’s MUN Club Enters their first MUN Conference after COVID-19

Arshia Sista, Staff Writer | November 30, 2021

Model United Nations won seven awards, from research to commendation (six novice and one advanced), at the 29th annual Tustin High MUN Conference on Nov. 20-21. Model United Nations participated in...

The proposed map for the California Senate district splits Irvine between its northern and southern regions. This redistricting drawing plan is one of the most drastic of the proposed changes to the California Assembly and the federal Senate.

Irvine Faces Redistricting as 2020 Census Data Nears

Michelle Kim, Business Manager | November 29, 2021

Orange County residents face redistricting, the decennial redrawing of federal and state Congressional Districts to reflect California’s population, following the 2020 Census and as the 2022 midterm...

Following the performances, C.O.D.E. guitarist and senior Desmond Wong accepts the Best Set award for his group from instrumental music teacher Kyle Traska. Engineering teacher Anthony Pham designed and created the trophies, according to Traska.

Striking a Chord: Battle of Rock Bands Nails Audience Engagement

Justin Tang and Martin Yoon | November 23, 2021

Writer’s note: The Battle of Rock Bands is unrelated to the High School Youth Action Team’s Battle of the Bands, which last took place in 2018. You can read more about it here. With great power...

Senior Thivinya Kobbekaduwa holds up a Sri Lankan flag. Kobbekaduwa was born in Sri Lanka and was inspired to give back to her home city of Kobbekaduwa after hearing news of underfunded schools in Sri Lanka from her aunt.

Thivinya Kobbekaduwa Helps Underprivileged Sri Lankans Skim Through a New Chapter of Education

Kayleen Kim, Staff Writer | November 22, 2021

Piles of books and plastic grocery bags are scattered on the floor around senior Thivinya Kobbekaduwa. She carefully sorts each title into boxes, preparing to send every shipment to underprivileged communities...

Junior Emma Song, junior Citlali Garcia-Montero, sophomore Jadyn Kohan, and junior Xasive Espinosa practice offense and defense during a two-on-two drill during practice on Nov. 9. In addition to sport-specific technique, winter sports athletes also condition through regular fitness exercises and work to lower injury risks by warming up before practice or play, according to assistant athletics director Brian Smith.

Enthusiasm, Bonding, and Plenty of Practice Come Together As Winter Sports Prepare for Season Ahead

Justin Tang, Back Page Editor | November 18, 2021

Winter sports are preparing to leap into league competition as the fall season draws to a close. While boys’ basketball had its first preseason scrimmage game on Nov. 9 against Troy High, the preseason...

Moderate Democrats have feuded with Progressives over the size and provisions of Biden’s Build Back Better plan. Even if some provisions are removed, the bill will still be beneficial and necessary to tackle climate change.

Despite Opposition, Biden’s Newly-Passed Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Includes Important Measures For Climate Change

Aadi Mehta, Staff Writer | November 18, 2021

President Joe Biden’s scaled-down climate change portion of his infrastructure spending bill passed the House of Representatives on Nov. 5 in a bipartisan effort. The original bill passed the Senate...

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