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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

As a solution to the academic honesty problemon campus, some teachers have created multiple forms of exams for their students. Math teacher Eric Graham created nine different versions of his AP Statistics midterm in order to prevent students from cheating.

IUSD Plans to Update Academic Honesty Policy

Akshay Raj and Helena Hu | December 2, 2019

Forty-six years since establishment, the Irvine Unified School District (IUSD) is working on revising its policy on academic honesty for the 2020-21 school year. Executive director of secondary education...

Academic dishonesty often occurs in a cyclic pattern when there is no firm cheating policy in place. With 57% of teachers at IUSD agreeing that cheating is a problem at their schools, a stronger stance from the district is necessary.

Promoting Academic Integrity Through Student Efforts

December 2, 2019

Whether a student is copying a homework problem or obtaining a leaked exam key, under Irvine Unified School District’s current academic honesty policy, there is no clear distinction. The policy took...

Kayla Espiritu and 17 other juniors had their potluck dinner on Nov. 11, continuing the tradition of Friendsgiving that they started when they first entered high school.

Friends Become Family at ‘Friendsgiving’ Celebrations

Charlotte Cao and Kate Hayashi | November 26, 2019

With Thanksgiving around the corner, families around the United States are setting tables, stocking up on ingredients and awaiting the arrival of distant relatives to return to the familiar, or sometimes...

When the Chicken Sandwich Craze Turns Deadly

When the Chicken Sandwich Craze Turns Deadly

Maya Sabbaghian, Co-Managing Editor | November 26, 2019

In a Maryland Popeye’s location on Nov. 4, an argument arose after one person cut in front of another in line specifically intended for the infamous chicken sandwich. The two men went outside the establishment;...

Weekly vendors at the OC Great Park market sell locally-grown fruits and vegetables and exclusive, artisan-made products. The farmers market takes place in the Great Park on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Farmers and Artisans Congregate at the OC Great Park Farmers Market

Erin Choi, Business Team | November 26, 2019

Walking through the Great Park Farmers Market, one can’t help but appreciate the eclectic variety of goods that populate the white-tented booths. Gleaming fruits and vegetables, samples of iced juices,...

Freshman Anne Yang drives a forehand crosscourt after a short ball from her opponent. Yang went on to win the point and later win her match 6-0 against Trabuco Hills High’s number two player.

Girls’ Tennis Wins CIF Finals and Makes School History

Shawyan Rooein, Centerspread Editor | November 25, 2019

Girls’ tennis (20-5) emerged victorious in the 2019 Division 3 CIF-SS Championships final at the Claremont Club against Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, bringing home the first CIF-SS title with a 10-8...

Although the idea of using a root vegetable to create a pie might be repulsive to some, it actually creates for a sweeter flavor profile and closely resembles a  pumpkin pie’s nutty and smooth taste.

How to Prepare a Nontraditional Full Course Meal for Your Thanksgiving

Krisha Konchadi, Social Media & Marketing Team | November 25, 2019

After years of the same turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie dinner, Americans are beginning to get bored. If you too are tired of binging on the same Thanksgiving foods every year, you’ve come to...

How to Thanksgiving: Turkey

William Hsieh, Julia Kim, and Farhad Taraporevala | November 22, 2019

No Thanksgiving feast is complete without the glorious main dish that we all look forward to: turkey. Luckily, turkeys are very accessible in Irvine, offered at stores like Costco or Ralphs. We bought...

Irvine Talks board members are charged with painting the mural for the event. Those painting the mural incorporated the theme of “Movement” in the artwork by making it a central focus of the work.

Record Number of Portola High Students Will Perform in Irvine Talks for an Evening of ‘Movement’

Maya Sabbaghian and Kate Hayashi | November 21, 2019

Irvine Talks board has entered the final stages of preparation for its third annual event with a record number of performers from Portola High, including juniors Kailyn Pham and Eric Hao and seniors Dheitshaa...

Despite changing her major eight times, Newton never strayed far from science and utilized her college experience to explore different fields of study that sparked her interest.

Why These Teachers Changed Majors

Jaein Kim, Staff Writer | November 21, 2019

Declaring a major in college can greatly influence one’s academic and professional career. Math teacher Shelley Godett, science teacher Jeralyn Newton and counselor Nicole Epres stand among the one-third...

Freshman Bella Chhiv competes in tournaments regularly, such as the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Springteam Championship hosted in Mobile, Alabama; additionally, she is currently ranked 11th in California, according to the Babolat recruiting list on the Tennis Recruiting Network.

Freshman Sets the Pace for Girls’ Tennis Team

Annie Qiao, A&E Editor | November 20, 2019

As freshman Bella Chhiv begins to recount tales of the places and people she has met through her years in tennis, her teammates intermittently stop by, shouting words of encouragement and whimsical inside...

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