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
Sophia Kim

Sophia Kim, Front Page Editor

Sophia Kim is the Front Page Editor for her second year on the Portola Pilot. In the little free time that she has—most of it dedicated to studying physics this year—Sophia enjoys sewing, trimming her hair, and drawing. She hopes that her designs for the newspaper’s front cover will attract many new readers.

All content by Sophia Kim
The new artificial turf on Portola High’s campus has beautified the campus while serving as extra space for students to gather and connect.

Replacing Natural Grass With Turf Enhances Portola High’s Environment

Sophia Kim and Kelly Yeh | September 18, 2025
Captain and senior Leanna Roman hits an overhead serve. “Personally, I love hitting my backhand down the line,” Roman said. “That's like my signature shot.”

Girls Tennis ‘Smashes’ Into New School Year With Sweep Over Irvine High

Sophia Kim and Catherine Li | September 17, 2025
Laufey’s latest album, “A Matter of Time,” continues her signature blend of jazz, pop and classical influences, earning a spot among this summer’s standout releases.

[Photo] These Summer Releases Make the Season ‘Feel Like Forever’

Alice Ahn, Co-Editor-in-Chief | September 11, 2025
Sophomore Alice Park and senior Leah Sim practice their routine together in front of the Student Union building, improving their skills for competition and also strengthening their community bond. “Marching band is one big family,” Distante said. “We try to enforce good values into our marching band students. We would love for our students to be competitively successful, but at the end of the day, it's way more important to us as music directors that our students come out of the program being courteous and generous and empathetic and respectful and all of those great values that we find in good people.”

Marching Band and Color Guard March Into the New Season With a New Director

Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | May 26, 2025
PinkPantheress released her second mixtape, “Fancy That,” on May 8, her first project since her debut album “Heaven Knows.”

[Photo] Do You ‘Fancy That?’: PinkPantheress’ New Mixtape Is So Well-Produced, It’s ‘Illegal’

Zoha Syed, Staff Writer | May 23, 2025
“Thunderbolts*” is considered to be one of most positively reviewed Marvel movies. After recently releasing low rated films like “Deadpool and Wolverine” and “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts*” scored a high 88% on Rotten Tomatoes.

[Photo] “Thunderbolts*” Tackles Mental Health Amid High-Stakes Action Plot

May 13, 2025
Cramming is very much normalized in Portola culture, because all of us have so many things going on, because we live in a really high pressure environment,” Faisal said. “Sometimes it feels like you genuinely don't have time to study long term, and even if you do, it's not seen as a priority based on everything else that's going on at the moment.

Cramming Culture: A Pressure We Need to Put a Stop To

Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | May 9, 2025
2025 marks the 100th anniversary of “The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic exploration of wealth, illusion and the American Dream.

[Photo] Gatsby’s Centennial: Fitzgerald’s Modern American Epic Endures

May 2, 2025
“A Minecraft Movie” was released on April 4 with a box office gross of $557.7 million, making it the second-highest-grossing film of the year and the second-highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time.

[Photo] “A Minecraft Movie” Turns a Generational Game Into a Sorry Mess with a Lack of Creative Spirit

Aditi Salunkhe, Co-News Editor | April 18, 2025
American rapper, singer and producer 2hollis just released his fourth album, “star.” It is a bright and exhilarating new chapter of the artist’s fame.

A Rising ‘Star’ Just Dropped the ‘Flashiest’ Album

Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | April 16, 2025
Indie band Men I Trust’s new album “Equus Asinus” feels melancholy, straying from their typical light, dream pop energy.

I Just Lost My Faith In the Band I Trust(ed)

Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | March 28, 2025
Students need to learn a second language in order to reap the positive effects people gain from language learning such as an improved level of cultural awareness and a boost in one’s brain reserves.

[Photo] More Than Just a Requirement: Why Multilingualism Matters

Nora Aljazzar, Staff Writer | March 10, 2025
Country musician Dolly Parton’s “Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables” album retells family stories and Appalachian tales.

[Photo] Tap Into Dolly Parton’s Newest Studio Album “Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables”

Marianne Chan and Nora Aljazzar | December 2, 2024
Science rolling chairs negatively affect student learning by creating distractions, according to chemistry student and sophomore Sayed Adil. “Every time I get up and sit down, it moves around,” Adil said. “It's distracting in class whenever we're finished with [a] test. Some people just fidget around with it and make some noises.”

[Photo] ‘Rolling’ into Frustration: Science Classrooms Should Replace Rolling Chairs

Sonia Wang and Senna Kahf | November 18, 2024
Leanna Roman and Kylie Nguyen prepare for their Oct. 2 practice after school. They interact with the entire team before even the warm-ups begin. “We’re on the court as a family,” according to Roman.

Meet the Captains: How the Girls’ Tennis Team Rises to Success

Sophia Kim, Staff Writer | October 16, 2024
Boba’s rising popularity makes it a favorite drink for many, and new shops are opening regularly. In this review, we will be exploring two of the latest arrivals: 3Cat and Macu Tea.

Exploring New Boba Shops: A Blend of Atmosphere and Taste

Kelly Yeh and Sophia Kim | October 4, 2024
NAMI Co-Presidents and juniors Such Yang and Chloe Shin work diligently on the 600s staircase to finalize their plans for the first NAMI club meeting on Thursday, Sept. 6.

NAMI Club: The Newest Wellness Haven on Campus

Alice Ahn and Sophia Kim | September 20, 2024
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The student news site of Portola High School
Sophia Kim