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

Shalonda Abubakar, the newest addition to IUSD’s community liaison team, is a resource for anyone in the Black and African-American community. She believes a positive mindset can hear everyone for success.

Shalonda Abubakar Joins IUSD as Community Liaison for Black and African-American Families

Emma Haag, Ariana Wu, and Michelle Kim | December 11, 2020

Shalonda Abubakar was introduced to the community as the new community liaison for Black and African-American families as of Nov. 13. According to the IUSD Black and African-American community webpage,...

Apple’s 2020 iPhone 12 lineup offers two new blue color options, dark blue for the iPhone 12 and 12 Mini and Pacific Blue for the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max. With the color choices being one of the most anticipated parts of Apple’s iPhone releases each year, the options of royal and deep blue have been fan favorites of Apple enthusiasts for years, according to Macrumors.

Apple’s iPhone 12 and MacBook Lineup is Worth ‘Chipping’ In For

Jenny Won, Opinion Editor | December 10, 2020

From small perks like iMessage and Memojis to innovations like cutting-edge cameras and retina displays, Apple’s assets have kept the company at the top of the technology market for years. The lineup...

Laguna Hills High joins the Pacific Coast League after having been in the Coast View Conference since August 2017, increasing competition for CIF tournaments.

Laguna Hills High Finally Joins Pacific Coast League

Naila Talib, Staff Writer | December 9, 2020

As of the 2020-21 school year, the CIF Southern Section has admitted Laguna Hills High to the Pacific Coast League.  Every two years, principals and athletics directors from across the county collectively...

Project Success specialist Gil Carey organizes his schedule of student meetings after school. Carey constantly sorts through new appointments and emails in order to make room for several sessions with students throughout the day during breaks, lunches and before school.

New Project Success Specialist Propels Students Forward

Michelle Kim and Akshay Raj | December 9, 2020

Whether he is sifting through student appointments at the back of the counseling office or out on campus talking students through their stress, Portola High’s new Project Success specialist Gil Carey...

All potential COVID-19 vaccine contenders must pass three phases of clinical trial before being submitted for approval to the FDA and CDC. Out of eight companies in the United States receiving government funding and dozens more worldwide, Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca have emerged in recent weeks with a successful vaccine through all three phases.

Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca Reach COVID-19 Vaccine Breakthroughs

Jenny Won, Opinion Editor | December 9, 2020

Update 12/11: On Dec. 11, the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine was authorized for emergency use by the FDA for individuals 16 years of age and older. Distribution will begin within several days. - After...

 Senior and executive producer Angela Kim said that in order to capture crisp natural sounds in her footage, she placed the mic near the subject in action. In this shot, she filmed her mother chopping carrots, which will be an ingredient in making kimbap, a traditional Korean seaweed wrap.

PNN B-Roll Challenge Encourages Students to Expand Their Technical Boundaries

Bia Shok, Features Editor | December 8, 2020

PNN is most well-known for its presence on set, producing informational videos for the student body. Beyond their usual lights, camera and action, crewmates also engage in instructional opportunities such...

Students who choose not to prepare for standardized tests may face heightened pressure to take the tests in their senior year, especially if colleges opt for a test-mandatory policy following this admissions cycle.

Colleges Are Going Test-Optional, but Students Need To Play It Safe

Ryan Jung, Staff Writer | December 8, 2020

In response to SAT and ACT testing centers shutting their doors across the nation due to COVID-19, more than 1,500 colleges across the nation are making these standardized tests optional for first-year...

It is believed that every zodiac sign has their own distinct traits. While one’s zodiac sun sign plays a large part in determining personality traits, the moon and the rising signs can attribute individuals with more specific traits.

Do Their Zodiac Signs Make These Teachers Compatible?

Emma Haag, Kayla Moshayedi, and Zara Shirwany | December 7, 2020

From fiery and ambitious Leos to grounded and hardworking Virgos, zodiac signs and their characteristics seem too accurate to be based on coincidence, which makes them a trending conversation topic among...

As the first Silverado fire spread towards Irvine, many communities were forced to evacuate and Portola High shut down for three days. The closure pressured students and teachers from all departments to reschedule plans and work distribution.

Silverado Fire Pushed Back Curricula

Aryan Mittal, Staff Writer | December 7, 2020

The October Silverado fire caused many Orange County neighborhoods to evacuate, with Portola High closing from Oct. 26-28 and causing many class curricula to be pushed back. The fire caused complications...

Over his “Jeopardy!” career, Alex Trebek hosted more than 8,000 episodes, setting the record for most shows hosted, and won seven Emmy awards as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, according to Jeopardy.com.

A Classic for the Ages. What is ‘Jeopardy!’?

Charlotte Cao, Co-News Editor | December 4, 2020

This classic game show, renowned for its unique format in which contestants are given the answers and expected to respond with questions, was first conceived by television host Merv Griffin and made its...

During former President Barack Obama’s term in 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused Supreme Court Justice hearings for former President Obama’s nominees. However, he strongly pushed for a new nominee during the final year of President Trump’s term, exposing the hypocrisy of McConnell and the Republican-majority Senate.

Amy Coney Barrett’s Nomination Marks a Concerning Departure from Precedent and Principle

Dheeksha Bhima Reddy, Cara Chan, and Ryan Jung | December 2, 2020

President Donald Trump nominated Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Sept. 29 to replace the seat of late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. President Trump nominated her just 35...

In addition to the typical music production and songwriting, BTS has chosen to take part in the concept development, visual design, set curation, photographs and video direction of this album, according to Rolling Stone, to thoroughly reflect their emotions during unusual times.

BTS Album Shows That ‘Life Goes On’ Despite Pandemic

Cara Chan and Dheeksha Bhima Reddy | December 2, 2020

The recent shift from 2019’s carefree and cheerful tunes to 2020’s solemn and desolate sounds reflect the universal feelings of fear, boredom and depression due to the pandemic. Many artists used this...

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