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
Elise Ngo

Elise Ngo, Features Editor

Elise Ngo is the Features Editor for her second and final year on the Portola Pilot. When not obsessing over Instagram labradoodles or harassing her older sister to buy Cha for Tea popcorn chicken, you can find her having existential crises during hikes in Shady Canyon while listening to her favorite musicals. In the newsroom, if not being mixed up with Maddie, she’s abusing em dashes and asking Tara for headline puns. She’s thrilled for another year with her divine Pilot peers.

All content by Elise Ngo
Boys’ volleyball sibling duo Jayce and Jett Fukuda smile before a varsity game last year. “I think that was really cool because having so many people there to watch me and my brother because we're so lucky to be on the same team at that time,” junior Jayce Fukuda said. “That was really special and important to me.”

Junior Jayce Fukuda Uses Sibling Inspiration to Fuel Volleyball Success

Elise Ngo and Madeline Chung | May 28, 2024
Pop performance group Calico, a part of Club II-V-I, waits until their time to run onto stage during pop performance group STRIKETHROUGH’s set. The two groups performed the rest of the set together, hyping up the audience with the upbeat nature of their songs.

Spring Festival Porchella Unveils Melodies in Motion

Nina Krish and Elise Ngo | May 24, 2024
Senior Ernest Lin takes on one of the hardest routes the indoor rock climbing gym Sender One Climbing has to offer, which is where he often spends his free time to build strength and resilience.

Senior Ernest Lin Conquers Heights One Climb at a Time

Elise Ngo and Madeline Chung | May 8, 2024
Shortstop and sophomore Keyan Park bats during the third inning. The team was energetic and played cohesively throughout the game, according to Park.

Baseball’s Home Run Wins Series Against University High

Nina Krish and Elise Ngo | March 22, 2024
“Mean Girls'' features a brand new cast based on the 2004 film and the 2017 musical of the same name. Avantika, Reneé Rapp and Bebe Wood play the famed trio of Karen Shetty, Regina George and Gretchen Wieners who rule the “girl world” of North Shore High School.

‘Mean Girls’ is Far From Fetch

Elise Ngo, Features Editor | February 1, 2024
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S4 Episode 02: Letters of Recommendation from Teachers’ POVs

Stephanie Hwang and Elise Ngo | January 9, 2024
Freshman Petra Tonkovich smiles enthusiastically during warm-ups, eager to begin practice. Water polo has taught her to display patience as she faces mental blocks in the sport, according to Tonkovich.

Petra Tonkovich: Meet Girls’ Water Polo’s Only Varsity Freshman

Madeline Chung and Elise Ngo | November 30, 2023
Skilled trade workers at the San Diego State University march across campus, conveying their frustrations with wages and the salary pay structure, according to KPBS.

Cal State Skilled Trade Workers Strike Across All 23 Campuses for Higher Salaries

Nina Krish and Elise Ngo | November 21, 2023
Freshmen Aman Talib and Paxton Shum paint rocks at Tuesday’s lunchtime activity set up by ASB. Students of all grade levels gathered in the quad to paint rocks with their friends.

ASB Promotes a Drug-Free Lifestyle Through Red Ribbon Week

Nina Krish and Elise Ngo | November 6, 2023
The college counselor business has proliferated in recent years, in light of the increased competitiveness of college admissions. Yet, students pay thousands of dollars for these services that do not necessarily guarantee admission. “There's no definite template as to say this college will accept me because of this,” junior Ananya Vuppula said. “I think you just have to be genuine in what you do and don't do it just because a college tells you to.”

Challenging the Cost of College Counselors: Are They Truly Worth It?

Aditi Salunkhe and Elise Ngo | November 1, 2023
CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is a gene editing technology used to modify DNA. Although CRISPR has the potential to treat human disease, the side effects and ethical implications are amongst the drawbacks of this dangerous tool, according to the New York Times.

The Ableist Downside of CRISPR Gene Editing

Elise Ngo, Features Editor | October 11, 2023
Taylor Swift fans anxiously await her arrival at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, eager to see the renowned artist perform songs from all of her “Eras,” or albums. “Truly, my best friend and I were joking that ‘this is the best time of my life,’” visual arts teacher Kearci Thompson said. “Besides our wedding, tied with our wedding! It was just so much fun.”

Highly Anticipated Summer Concerts Captivate Lifelong Fans of Drake and Taylor Swift

Elise Ngo and Nina Krish | September 21, 2023
Students would benefit greatly from mental health days, which gives students time to relieve their stress and enjoy themselves. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and Portola High should encourage this idea among students through a newly-implemented system similar to Northwood High’s “State of the Student” day.

School-Wide Mental Health Days Should be Adopted

Madeline Chung and Elise Ngo | June 2, 2023
During the full dress rehearsal the day before the concert, seniors Laura Li and Eli Ruminson and junior Rozalia Golema sway to the beat of “Bellas Finals,” a medley from “Pitch Perfect.” While the collective choirs had occasional microphone and lighting issues, the rehearsal helped smooth out most technological obstacles.

Behind the Scenes: Choreography Makes the Vocal Concert “Pop”

Elise Ngo, Social Media Team | May 30, 2023
Performance-based assessment tasks are more holistic and effective than SBAC tests, which present a snapshot of student education and is meant to assess areas of improvement, but student proficiency has stayed the same in recent years.

SBAC Remains Fruitless Toward California Education

Elise Ngo, Social Media Team | April 26, 2023
Middle attacker and senior Jacob Lee reaches to spike the ball, while a Sage Hill player leaps up to block the incoming hit. The Bulldogs took a more aggressive approach during the third set after the narrow win in the second set.

Boys’ Volleyball Shuts out Sage Hill in First League Match

Elise Ngo | March 16, 2023
Junior SJ Janolkar prepares for the DECA state competition with fellow Business Club members. After winning district vice president through a lengthy application and election process, Janolkar will be inaugurated at DECA state, which takes place March 3-6.

SoCal DECA is in Good ‘Company’ with Vice President SJ Janolkar

Elise Ngo, Social Media Team | March 3, 2023
S3 Episode 04: Exploring the Hidden Opinions of Teachers and Students

S3 Episode 04: Exploring the Hidden Opinions of Teachers and Students

Elise Ngo, Social Media Team | February 24, 2023
Seniors Lead Boys’ Basketball to Success Against Irvine High

Seniors Lead Boys’ Basketball to Success Against Irvine High

Madeline Chung and Elise Ngo | January 27, 2023

[Video] Making a Classic Holiday Treat: Sugar Cookies

Madeline Chung and Elise Ngo | January 6, 2023
A careless student riding his e-bike streaks past the speed limit. The uncontrollable speed causes him to fall hard on the ground, unmoving.

E-Bikes Race Over the Speed Limit of School Safety

Elise Ngo and Aditi Salunkhe | November 17, 2022
Polly Benish (junior Kody Lin), Henry Benish (junior Jason Wu Chen), Violet Imbry (junior Niki Abbaszadeh) and Billy Carewe (junior David Sloan) watch in astonishment as they witness Dr. Rex Forbes (junior Ethan Chan) faint from the curse of the Darjeeling Diamond necklace, crumpling to the ground.

Advanced Theater ‘Plays On’ in Fall Show

Elise Ngo and Gwyneth Yung | November 9, 2022
All fourteen teachers in the math department, styled as Mario Kart characters, drive themselves to a second consecutive victory in the costume contest after last year’s success. The Halloween costume contest is an important competition for the math department and takes many months to plan, according to math teacher Shelley Godett. “We started talking about it the first week of school,” Godett said. “Because everyone wants dibs on a good costume.”

Staff Goes All Out for the Annual Department Costume Contest

Hannah Ko and Elise Ngo | November 4, 2022

[Video] Reviewing Chick-fil-A’s New Fall Menu Items

Madeline Chung and Elise Ngo | October 7, 2022
Vintage slim sunglasses: Although sophomore Lisa Liu’s outfit might seem simple with her blue Lululemon tank top and shorts, she accessorizes her outfit with a pair of vintage slim sunglasses. Eyewear accessories are an easy way to complement and enhance a fit, according to Liu. “I wear sunglasses almost every day, and I feel that they can really elevate your outfits,” Liu said. “I love buying them because they really go well with basically any look.”

You Really “Autumn” Know These Fall Fashion Fits!

Hannah Ko and Elise Ngo | September 15, 2022
Girls’ soccer gathers after winning the game as Pacific Coast League champions for the 2022 season. The Bulldogs are the furthest into CIF in Portola High soccer history.

Teamwork Shines as Girls’ Soccer Scores League Champion Title

Elise Ngo, Contributing Writer | February 28, 2022
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The student news site of Portola High School
Elise Ngo