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

President Biden’s plan to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour forces states to comply and applies pressure on landlords and employers by driving operating expenses up.

Leave it to States and Cities to Set Minimum Wages

Ryan Jung and Aadi Mehta | May 17, 2021

With President Biden signing an executive order that will raise federal contractors’ minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2022 — effectively expanding access to a $15 minimum wage for more Americans —...

In accordance with Muslim tradition and to avoid distraction, most prayers including Eid Namaz are practiced so that the men and women are divided into separate sections. Prayer rugs are also often used to ensure that the prayer space is clean, if it is not in a mosque, and the patterns on these rugs usually depict religious themes to better connect with God (Allah).

Eid al-Fitr: Food and Festivities Break a Month of Fasting

Zara Shirwany and Naila Talib | May 14, 2021

It is nearing sunset, and the smell of vegetable samosas fills the air. Family and friends gather around outdoor tables wishing each other “Eid Mubarak” while children patiently sit in the grass comparing...

Senior Tyler Huang (2) goes up for a right hand layup after stealing the ball, with senior Nate DiCostanzo (21) trailing from behind to get a rebound if needed. Compared to previous games this season, every player had the opportunity to score. Players from the bench scored 75 of the points, already putting them at an advantage against University High for the entirety of the game.

Boys’ Basketball Defeats the Trojans in Ninth League Game

Kayla Moshayedi and Ava Caleca | May 14, 2021

Boys’ basketball (6-3) won 95-61 in its Pacific Coast League home conference game against University High on May 12. The Bulldogs will host Beckman High for their senior night at 7 p.m. on May 20. Forward...

To prepare for the newly created provisional business competition, Business Club president and junior Howard Zhang creates study guides for each “cluster” or category of questions and provides competitors with links to past DECA and FBLA tests with questions similar to those they might expect to see.

Portola Business Gets Busy with Local Competition

Naila Talib and Zara Shirwany | May 13, 2021

Business Club hosted two competitions on April 30 and May 7 for students in preparation for next year's formal competition season. The first place winners of the events included junior Sriya Boppana for...

Like many other clubs, the newly added Scientia Club had to adapt its interactive activities to be virtual and hosted weekly Zoom meetings during which club members collaborated to create their first magazine issue, pictured above.

Scientia Journal Club Explores Fusion of Science and Writing

Sidra Asif and Naila Talib | May 12, 2021

The Scientia Journal staff embraces a special merging of scientific research, words, design and graphics. The group of students have collaborated and dedicated their time weekly over the past school year...

While students may challenge themselves by taking on a rigorous course load packed with APs, they should have the self-knowledge to drop courses if their mental health falters.

To Manage AP-Related Stress, Student Initiative Is the Key to Success

Emma Haag and Ryan Jung | May 10, 2021

As students scramble to prepare for their upcoming AP exams, many begin to experience the consequences of cramming: losing sleep, ignoring daily routines, reading the same lines in a textbook for the second...

Seniors passions have led them to a variety of colleges and universities — some across the country and others right at home.

Seniors Make Major Decisions for Future Success

Ava Caleca and Justin Tang | May 7, 2021

As the 2020-21 school year draws to a close, seniors are making plans to pursue their passions in a multitude of colleges. With hundreds of majors to choose from, settling on a single field of study for...

Moon works on uploading listings of his newest items, packs of collectible basketball cards, onto his computer. Each sale involves careful research and calculation of the market value, consumer demand and potential profit margin of the product, which Moon has perfected over the past two years.

Student Small Businesses: eCommerce Company Takes Senior to the Moon

Jenny Won, Opinion Editor | May 6, 2021

As you scroll through listings on eBay or Amazon, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of items to choose from. But if you look carefully enough, there is a chance you will stumble upon an item sold by...

The effects of climate change will become irreversible by 2030 unless drastic measures are taken to protect the planet, according to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “I feel like every day should be Earth Day. It’s important to recognize just how precious the planet that we live on is,” science teacher Michael Tang said. “There’s nothing like it. As of now, we don’t know of any planet that’s habitable like ours, and so its very important for us to learn and to remember that we need to be good stewards of the Earth.”

Students and Staff Plant Awareness to Celebrate Earth Day

Emma Haag and Lauren Hsu | May 5, 2021

From the rapidly-worsening air quality in major cities to recent Silverado fires in Orange County, people across the globe have been impacted by the devastating effects of climate change. But on April...

If implemented, vaccine passports will violate privacy rights and make it harder for people to travel because of low vaccine availability in the country.

The United States Should Not Move Forward with Vaccine Passports

Aadi Mehta, Staff Writer | May 4, 2021

Vaccine passports will allow people to only board an airplane if they are vaccinated from infectious diseases. While it may help people feel safer on a plane, it should not be required for traveling because...

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