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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

Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) revolves around a world where characters have the ability to control, or bend, one element—water, earth, fire or air—with the exception of the Avatar, who can control all four elements. The show is particularly captivating due to the friendship between the main protagonists: Aang, the Avatar; Katara, a waterbender; Sokka, Katara’s brother; Toph, an earthbender and Zuko, a firebender whose goal is to capture the Avatar.

Bending the Rules: How ‘Avatar: the Last Airbender’ Remains Timeless

Charlotte Cao and Claudia Lin | September 15, 2020

Long ago, in 2005, the landscape of animated children’s shows was barren in its inclusivity. Then, everything changed when “Avatar: The Last Airbender” (ATLA), an animated show created by Michael...

Sports like volleyball, soccer and tennis are resuming practices, but with modifications that fit in line with guidelines by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. These include implementing a minimum of six-feet separation between the players and coaches, as well as mandating face coverings for non-strenuous activities and having sanitary equipment available.

Sports Resume Off-Season with Modifications

Aadi Mehta, Staff Writer | September 14, 2020

Sports are resuming in-person practices during September under strict guidelines released by the Centers of Disease Control in July in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.  “Currently our team...

The audition information meeting was held on Sept. 14, during which Sanford released information regarding the audition process and future dates for all theater members to be aware of. The technology crew and design team information meeting will be held on Sept. 21 on Google Meet.

Standing Ovation for Theater Community as Fall Play Goes Virtual

Akshay Raj and Claudia Lin | September 14, 2020

The fifth annual fall play, Tracy Wells’ “One Stoplight Town,” will be entirely virtual, from production to presentation, according to play director and performing arts teacher Samantha Sanford....

The Top of the World, Laguna Beach, is the traditional spot that most Irvine High schools host their senior sunrise, because of the local shops and breakfast spots nearby, and the breathtaking view of the ocean and sky from high elevation.

Seniors Socially Distance at the Top of the World

Krisha Konchadi and Clara Ferreira Lopes | September 14, 2020

The Top of the World, Laguna Beach, is the traditional spot that most Irvine High schools host their senior sunrise, because of the local shops and breakfast spots nearby, and the breathtaking view of...

Junior Justin Choi studied video essays and free YouTube lessons to learn about cinematography. Currently, he takes Video Production to learn more about camera work and filmmaking.
See more on his Instagram account, @justinc.review.

Self-taught Critic Justin Choi Rates Movies, TV Shows and Games

Kayla Moshayedi and Erin Choi | September 14, 2020

Junior Justin Choi hunches over his computer. On his computer screen, we see words come together in sentences, then in paragraphs: a movie review. Choi, a lover of film and media, has been posting twice...

From the very beginning, a vivid color palette injects vitality into each of the frames. Even battle scenes (which are conventionally dull and gray) are kept lively with pops of primary red.

Live-Action ‘Mulan’ Disappoints

Erin Choi, Managing Editor | September 11, 2020

As the movie opens, we fly over terraced rice paddies to a cozy village center. We dive into the bustle of everyday life in Mulan’s hometown: the chase of an escaped chicken, the gossip between bored...

 Juniors Alejandra Guio-Perez, Sriragavi Ukeshkumar and Mariam Arafa surprise their friend with a virtual Red Carpet themed birthday party.

Taking a Break: Students Celebrate Their Labor Day Weekend While Social Distancing

Grace Baek, Staff Writer | September 11, 2020

Amid concerns regarding possible spikes in COVID-19 cases, students found their own compromises to the traditional Labor Day picnics, barbeques and fireworks. Labor Day weekend is often the symbolic...

Though hybrid learning will allow students to return to campus, most elements of a traditional school day will be modified to account for safety procedures such as cohorts, social distancing and minimization of shared surfaces. The adjusted cohort schedule will make enforcement of such procedures more management for students and staff.

Irvine Unified to Begin Hybrid In-Person Instruction September 24

Jenny Won, Opinion Editor | September 11, 2020

Assuming that current downward trends of coronavirus spread continue, Irvine Unified students enrolled in the hybrid model will resume in-person instruction Sept. 24-25, depending on their cohort assignment.  The...

Under in-person instruction, freshmen would vote for their ASB leaders during their advisement period. This year, freshmen can vote on Canvas from their homes.

Freshmen Campaign Week and Elections Held Virtually

Ryne Dunman, Business Manager | September 11, 2020

UPDATE (09/15/20) 10:41 p.m.: After the voting period ended, it was revealed on Sept. 14 that freshmen Makena Wong was chosen as the freshmen vice president while Arjit Singh was elected as the freshmen...

Playing the first Black superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, late actor Chadwick Boseman’s portrayal of T’Challa in Black Panther is a milestone for the Black community.

Remembering Chadwick Boseman: The Loss of a Superhero

Kelthie Truong and Sidra Asif | September 10, 2020

A wave of shock and heartbreak rapidly unfurled across social media platforms as feeds flooded with a grinning black-and-white portrait of actor Chadwick Boseman, accompanied by the news of his passing...

Back to School Night videos for each teacher will be around ten minutes long, mimicking the time schedule that physical Back to School Nights had.

Asynchronous Videos Replace In-Person Back to School Night

Bia Shok, Features Editor | September 9, 2020

Parents will receive a personalized email with their child’s schedule and a link to access pre-recorded videos of their child’s teachers created for Back to School Night on Sep. 9. Videos will include...

WOW had five events, and ASB featured participating students on ASB Instagram stories. The grade with the most contributing students earned a point for the class points system, a competition in which each class competes for the most points at the end of the year. Before WOW, freshmen had 10 points, sophomores have 5 points, juniors have 15 points and seniors have 20 points in the class points system, and the updated points will be announced in a few days.

Virtual Spirit Week Replaces Annual Welcome Back Dance

Bia Shok, Features Editor | September 4, 2020

To maintain school spirit during online learning and compensate for the lack of the Welcome Back Dance this year, ASB arranged Week of Welcome (WOW), a virtual spirit week from Aug. 31 to Sep. 4.  The...

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