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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

Social studies teacher Natasha Schottland keeps a collection of all the cards she receives from students each year and rereads them frequently. A handwritten card is one gift that can never go wrong.

Gift Ideas for Teachers to Spread the Holiday Cheer

Jenny Won, Assistant A&E Editor | December 18, 2019

Alongside the presents for family and friends piling up under the tree, many students have another beloved group of people to shop for during the holiday season: their teachers. However, it is difficult...

13.4% of citizens in California lack enough resources to meet basic needs, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.

Canned Food Drives CAN’t Solve America’s Hunger Crisis

Bia Shok and Lauren Hsu | December 16, 2019

Slimy peas, salty beans and preservative-packed cranberry sauce are just some of the foods donated during the holiday food drive season. Portola students collected over 200 cans for the Second Harvest...

 As “King of New York” from popular musical “Newsies” drew to a close, freshman Sophia Albornoz, sophomore Esha Ananth, junior Vina Dinh, sophomore Amanda Zhu, junior Saba Firouzabadi, junior Sonia Goyle, junior Chloe Le, junior Shideh Moayed and sophomore Megan Suhr pose for the crowd. The song choice influenced the costuming and prop choices.

Dance Goes ‘Under the Stars’ and on to New Risks

Nate Taylor and Kelthie Truong | December 16, 2019

In one instance, sharp silhouettes strike poses against the brightly-lit background. In another, dancers in pirouette become rapid blurs of color. In the next, the stage goes dark and a brief moment of...

Unlocking the Modern Artist Within

William Hsieh, Julia Kim, and Farhad Taraporevala | December 13, 2019

Modern art, a style that reflects 1860s-1970s cultural values, is a constant source of debate, with its detractors claiming that the form is overly simplistic. With this in mind, we set out to see how...

 The spicy cashew shrimp, one of the rice dishes on the menu, had a variety of ingredients like baby corn and mushrooms. While the cut on some of these ingredients was largely inconsistent, it took nothing away from the complex flavor combination of sweetness and acidity.

En-Thai-cing Food Will Put You in a Good Mood

William Hsieh, Julia Kim, and Farhad Taraporevala | December 13, 2019

Lemongrass, ginger, basil and turmeric. If you can not recall the last time you tried food with such ingredients, it may be time to try Thai Bamboo Bistro, a small restaurant with shockingly absent wait...

Sergeant Mike Meyers on Captain, Officer Brad Boyer on Max, Officer Kendra McLoud on Lucky and Officer Tyler Hollenbeck (not depicted) on Dundee are the four members of the Irvine Police Department’s mounted forces unit.

Irvine Mounted Unit Is More Active During Holiday Season

Kate Hayashi, Assistant Opinion Editor | December 12, 2019

Irvine residents may notice police officers patrolling shopping centers on horseback as the holiday season comes into full swing. Because of their prior experience with horses, these officers take on the...

Dance 3 students crouch down during the solo section of the piece, “Crybaby,” choreographed by sophomore Mia Zappala. Choreographers were also responsible for costume design and stage lighting, fine-tuning these elements to enhance their overall performance.

Student Choreographers Steal the Show at Annual Winter Dance Concert

Lauren Hsu, Staff Writer | December 11, 2019

Students rush to and from the dressing room and dancers fine tune their choreography, all while upbeat music blasts through speakers—a typical lunch break the day before a concert. Students from Dance...

One way Apple promoted the new MacBook Pro was an augmented reality program that allowed customers to see the reiteration in their surrounding environment using their phone cameras.

New 16-inch Macbook Pro is Apple’s ‘Magic Key’ to User Satisfaction

Ki Joon Lee | December 10, 2019

Apple released a brand-new generation of the MacBook Pro on Nov. 13, boasting an updated 16-inch screen along with a premium price ranging from $2,399 to $6,099 depending on the amount of internal storage....

Tesla claims that the Cybertruck has more towing capacity than top-of-the market pickup truck models, such as the Ford F-150 and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and greater acceleration than the luxury sports car Porsche 911.

Tesla Cybertruck Shapes New Future for Pickup Truck Market

Nicholas Hung and Aaron Sha | December 9, 2019

Tesla’s newest release, the Cybertruck, left an impression with its uniquely geometric exterior and sports car-like capabilities. Bearing little resemblance to the traditional pickup truck with a joint...

Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, “Frozen 2” hit the big screen on Nov. 22 exploring the past history of the fan favorite cast of characters. On a new quest, the characters must find a way to protect Arendelle and their loved ones from the elements of the world.

Journey ‘Into the Unknown’ with Disney’s ‘Frozen 2’

Aaron Sha and Simrat Singh | December 6, 2019

Disney’s “Frozen 2” has been a highly-anticipated sequel to the massively successful 2013 animated family film, “Frozen,”. Six years later, fans of all ages swarmed the theaters on Nov. 22 to...

Many of these smoking bans stem from a concern with many hotel guests smoking in public areas. Because many guests are from foreign nations, and are used to smoking anywhere, the city council hopes that this ban will help hoteliers reinforce that they are not allowed to smoke in public.

Cigarettes and Vapes go Up in Smoke in Irvine

Julia Kim, Opinion Editor | December 4, 2019

Irvine will implement a ban on smoking in all areas of Irvine except for single-unit private residence areas starting Dec. 12. Councilwoman Farrah Khan and Mayor Pro Tempore Anthony Kuo proposed the ordinance...

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