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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

When the murder (Roman) is revealed to the audience, she stops to talk to the dead body about her plan all along. To help prepare for the performance, the rehearsals took three weeks and they would start memorizing lines and choosing the characters through an audition process.

First Dinner-Theatre Performance Serves a Perfect Blend of Comedy and Mystery

Arshia Sista, Staff Writer | November 4, 2021

Junior Sissy Wynn directed this year’s fall play, Bill Hand's "Murder on the Menu," after drama teacher Samantha Sanford introduced the idea of the play. This show was the VAPA department’s first...

Lion-Dragon Dancers performed at the Irvine Global Village Festival on Oct. 9. Pictured are the dancers and four lion heads, which can weigh as much as 15 to 20 pounds (depending on the amount of ornaments), according to sophomore Deko Hsiao.

Students Bring History to Life through Dragon and Lion Dancing

Erin Choi and Grace Baek | November 3, 2021

Two thousand years ago in Han Dynasty China, early forms of the dragon dance emerged. Different colored dragons were considered auspicious for different events — for rain, for harvest, for fertile lands. At...

While Allison Jo and Ashley Jo share a close bond, the twins took precautions to ensure their applications were personal to them. “If we were going to ask [each other] questions, they would just be really broad ones,” Ashley Jo said. “I think the only information that we actually shared with each other was financial stuff, because obviously, our financials are going to be the same.”

Senior Twins Named First Questbridge Finalists in School History

Ryan Jung, Managing Editor | November 2, 2021

Seniors Allison Jo and Ashley Jo were named Questbridge National College Match Finalists, becoming the first students in school history to be awarded this distinction. Finalists receive a full-ride scholarship...

Individual awards for the contest include senior Ryne Dunman for first place in Features Writing, senior Michelle Kim for third place in Opinion Writing, senior Clara Ferreira Lopes for second place in Photography, sophomore Tara Vatandoust for second place in Features Writing and sophomore Tyler Kim for third place in News Writing.

Portola Pilot Takes Off at Virtual CSUN Journalism Day Conference

Claudia Lin, Co-Editor in Chief | November 1, 2021

Five Portola Pilot students placed in the top three of their respective categories at the 29th annual Journalism Day Conference held virtually on Oct. 23. California State University, Northridge’s journalism...

California’s state-wide free meal program must expand across the nation to ensure equal academic opportunity.

Extend Free School Meals Across the Nation

Martin Yoon, Staff Writer | November 1, 2021

Coming back from the chaotic year of distance learning, what students might have noticed is a seemingly endless line to the school cafeteria. Some might say waiting in line is tedious, yet it is a major...

Local golf courses’ current preference for maximizing profits rather than supporting students has contributed to the struggles the golf teams face this year, including long commutes to games and individual fees for practices.

The “Long Drive Contest”: How Privately-Owned Golf Courses Contribute to Golf Teams’ Struggles

Justin Tang, Back Page Editor | October 22, 2021

Twenty miles. That is the distance between Portola High and the Shorecliffs Golf Club, one of four golf courses that the girls’ golf team has used as its home course this fall. The facility takes students...

Two men walk around the Great Park, showcasing their traditional Korean attire. Korean traditional clothing for males usually consisted of long robes with wide sleeves and a black hat with two flaps on the side.

20th Irvine Global Village Festival Celebrates a Cultural Explosion After One Year Hiatus

Cara Chan and Arshia Sista | October 14, 2021

The City of Irvine hosted its 20th Irvine Global Village Festival at the Great Park on Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m after a one year hiatus due to COVID-19. This year, the event was free of charge. The...

Senior Jamaal Walker belts “Once Upon a December” from Anastasia, which opened on Broadway in 2016 and is based on the 1997 film of the same name.

VAPA Students Step into the ‘Spotlight’ at Lunchtime Performance

Zara Shirwany, Staff Writer | October 12, 2021

The sun blazes above the theatre building; a crowd of excited students gather, eyes fixated on four people standing in the amphitheater. Each of the four individuals - fine arts liaison and senior...

Senior Kristen Fong sings and plays the guitar to “Vienna” by American singer and songwriter Billy Joel. “I was less nervous than I thought I was going to be, but then I got on stage, and then I was like, ‘Okay, keep going, alright,’ and then I immediately forgot the lyrics in the middle of the song,” Fong said. “But I think my recovery was alright.”

First Ever Talent Show Features Diverse Student Talents

Sidra Asif and Celine Lee | October 8, 2021

Controlled in voice and theatrical in movement, senior Jamaal Walker belts out the chorus to “Someone Gets Hurt” from the “Mean Girls” musical, blowing away the audience. A few moments later,...

Sophomore Kaylin Wong rides her electric bike home from school along Irvine Blvd. on Oct. 6. The roadway abuts the Eastern Transportation Corridor Toll Road – the crossing where freshman Shifa Harsolia was hit while cycling home from school on Sept. 10.

Wearing a Helmet Doesn’t Prevent Biking Accidents: Being Defensive Does

While freshman Shifa Harsolia was biking from school on Sept. 10, a distracted driver on Irvine Blvd. crashed into her, knocking her off of the bike. “I was mainly just really shocked because it just...

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