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

Tight end and senior Joey Omar scores a touchdown in the first quarter, putting Portola in the lead with the score of 6-0.

First Ever Bulldog Win Against Beckman High

Emma Haag and Bia Shok | October 15, 2019

The Dog Pound was a sea of neon colors as students cheered on the Bulldogs (6-1) at the first league football game of the season on Oct. 4. Starting off strong, the game resulted in a 27-10 victory for...

2019-2020 Freshman Representative

2019-2020 Freshman Representative

Ajinkya Rane, Co-Managing Editor | October 15, 2019

Blocked to Unblocked: YouTube Filter to be Lifted

Blocked to Unblocked: YouTube Filter to be Lifted

Julia Kim, Opinion Editor | October 11, 2019

After wanting to increase student accessibility to online tools for the past four years, the Irvine Unified School District Information Technology department will move forward with its newest project:...

Social studies teacher Natasha Schottland reads through an online copy of Gardner Jackson’s magazine article “Unknown Soldiers.” Although some of the resources from the scholarship are in print form, all of the learning, including lectures from professors and communication with other teachers, occurs digitally.

NHD Grants Scholarship to Social Studies Teacher for Honoring the Past

Charlotte Cao, Social Media and Marketing Team | October 10, 2019

After sending in an application during the summer, social studies teacher Natasha Schottland was awarded a World War I (WWI) scholarship from National History Day (NHD). From Aug. 16 until Dec. 16, she...

Guitarists sophomore Joaquin Goana and junior Jeffrey Mejia have practiced their instruments for many years, but bassist and junior Cinta Adhiningrat is a self-taught rising musician.

Rock Band Chemistry Brings the Pride of Portola ‘Closer to the Heart’

Tiffany Wu, Co-News Editor | October 10, 2019

Amid the airy richness of brass and woodwinds, two electric guitars wail a familiar riff, accompanied by the alluring warble of electric bass and a gentle crooning of the keyboard. Metal bleachers pulsate...

Saffron & Rose offers a wide range of authentic Persian ice-cream in floral, fruity, and chocolate flavors.

Bringing the Taste of Tehran to Irvine: Saffron & Rose Ice Cream

Minnah Tanzeen, Staff Writer | October 8, 2019

From classic vanilla to rich chocolate and the advent of more modern American favorites like mint chocolate chip and Oreo, ice cream endures as a constant in the long cycle of dessert fads in America....

Sophomore and golfer Maddie Amlen rehearses her back swing at the first hole, preparing herself for a challenge throughout the match. Golfers on the high school level play nine holes in total, compared to the 18 that professionals play.

Girls’ Golf Swings to Victory

Jaein Kim, Staff Writer | October 7, 2019

Girls’ golf (3-5) celebrated a victory at a home match at San Juan Hills Golf Club on Sept. 26 against Irvine High. Ending with a score of 238-264, Portola High currently ranks fourth out of six teams...

Almond milk tea, honey milk tea and class 302 milk tea all mixed together with boba, passion fruit, lychee and mango jelly, almond milk tea with every single topping and thai tea with boba are just a few of the drink combinations available.

Craving Boba and Lunch? Get Your Fix at Class 302

William Hsieh, Julia Kim, and Farhad Taraporevala | October 4, 2019

At the corner of two rows of restaurants bustling with different ethnic cuisines stands Class 302, a cozy restaurant serving delicious Tawiwanese food, including Irvine’s favorite drink: boba. While...

Link crew leader and junior Abby Hopper checks in with Tracy Bebout’s freshman advisement class and gives them advice for their first month of high school.

Link Crew is Here to Help

Jaein Kim, Staff Writer | October 3, 2019

From freshman orientation to advisement check-ins throughout the year, Portola High’s first ever Link Crew helps freshmen transition into their new lives as high school students. Link Crew is a mentor-mentee...

Sophomore Andrew Harriger looks through the camera to visualize and adjust his shot during the FilmEd summer camp. According to Ms. Murphy, the experience that the students gain using more expensive equipment enhances their abilities with the school equipment.

For the Students, By the Students: Portola News Network

Simrat Singh and Junhee Ryu | October 2, 2019

Sophomore Andrew Harriger adjusts the camera. With a smile on her face, sophomore Elena Kim declares “PNN 10/1 take five.” Junior Skye Lee and sophomore Tiffany Park take a deep breath and began. “What’s...

Senior Chris Choung works on her college applications with the help of counselor Ryan Itchon. Many of the questions asked at the workshops relate to the Common Application, which requires students to not only input not only all of the colleges they are applying to, but also their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, personal information and school or teacher information.

Counseling Helps Students Find Comfort in College Applications

Helena Hu and Julia Kim | October 1, 2019

In order to provide college application assistance to mostly seniors, the counseling department began on Sept. 4 hosting college application workshops in Room 1002 during office hours on select Wednesdays....

Some of the most popular novels in the United States have been banned or censored for their controversial ideas. A high number of the novels read in Portola High English courses have been censored or banned at some time.

Lifting the Censor Bar on Knowledge: Banned Books Week Comes to the Commons

Maya Sabbaghian, Co-Managing Editor | September 30, 2019

Librarians, avid bookworms and casual readers alike celebrated Banned Books week from Sept. 22-28. The annual campaign, promoted by the American Library Association (ALA), began in 1982 and celebrates...

Donate to Portola Pilot
$235
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Activate Search
The student news site of Portola High School
Showcase