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
Opinion
Arranging something as subjective as an album in a definitive list is borderline impossible. But there is one thing that music lovers seem to agree on, and Apple Music does not: “An album is a bit of everything,” sophomore Aditya Nair said. “The biggest thing you have to factor in is the impact the album had on people…This can’t be labeled the top 10 or 100 albums of all time.”
Does Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums Ranking “Skip” Too Many Great Ones?
Claire Liu, Staff Writer | June 7, 2024
Casting people of color in media is beneficial in providing representation and telling diverse stories, according to math teacher Jessica Torres. As a first-generation Mexican-American, she feels inspired by Hispanic influencers sharing their stories online and hopes to see future popular media reflect diverse experiences.
Swapping the Roles: Disney Should Continue Casting POC in Live-Action Remakes
Camille Clement and Catherine Li | June 4, 2024
Local community colleges, including Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College, as well as the University of California system, use Canvas as their primary learning management system. Thus, in order to prepare students for higher education, Canvas should be implemented early on in students’ careers.
Full-Fledged Learning Management Systems Benefit Everyone: Why Canvas Triumphs Google Classroom
Michael Sun and Maitri Allani | May 22, 2024
As time progresses, the spotlight on mental health intensifies, illuminating the pervasive stigma that continues to cause difficulties for those in need. Its time to rewrite this narrative, to embrace empathy over stigma and to create a community where mental well-being is a shared priority.
It’s Time to Destigmatize the Meaning of Mental Health
Sky Nguyen and Elizabeth Gao | May 21, 2024
When Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 pick of the WNBA draft, was revealed to receive a significantly lower wage than Victor Wembanyama, last year’s NBA No. 1 pick, injustice towards female athletes became evident to sports viewers. “It needs to balance out a little bit more, especially now with Caitlin Clark and everything that shes done for womens college basketball,” prospective Wellesley college girls’ basketball player and senior Emaleena Elson said. “Shes brought in so many more viewers and so much more attention to the WNBA. So at the end of the day, if the wage gap is about viewers, then shouldnt it be more balanced now?”
A ‘Slam Flunk’ in Sports: Caitlin Clark Controversy Stirs up Gender Pay Gap Discussion
Kayley Winata and Sonia Wang | May 1, 2024
Taking sick days when you are not sick makes it unfair for students who are actually ill and harder for teachers to fairly create make-up tests. “Its getting harder for us to distinguish sick students because students are just saying theyre ill when in reality theyre not,” AP Physics and engineering teacher Anthony Pham said. “Were at a point where we should consider just always having a different, harder exam for students no matter what the scenario might be, which will really hurt students that are actually sick and who need the time to recover before they can study.”
A Doctor’s Note on Test Day Keeps the ‘Sick’ Students Away
Stephanie Hwang and Jordan Hata | April 29, 2024
Proactively deleting emails to reduce nonrenewable electricity usage raises awareness about the power plants where electricity comes from, according to AP Environmental Science teacher Courtney Moder. “It’s the next generation that has to figure out climate change,” Moder said. “It’s something that’s not really well known but is something that you can get people to get behind.”
Too Many Emails in Your Inbox? Support Environmental Sustainability by Deleting Them
Mary Lee, Staff Writer | April 26, 2024
The rise in the coquette aesthetic has forced femininity to be characterized by dependent and delicate ideals, contrasting a society moving towards female empowerment. Though coquetry can bond girls and women, it is important to move away from such trends that constitute retrogression.
The Shadows Behind the Frills and Pink Bows of the Trending Coquette Aesthetic
Kayleen Kim and Ruhi Samudra | April 25, 2024
Many contemporary historical films have sparked controversy over how much creative license is too much and in what ways producers can balance both accuracy and art, such as in the film “Napoleon.” “I am a present proponent of creativity and being able to show things in a different way,” history teacher Heidi Martasian said. “But I think I like when the film says something at the start like ‘Hey, this is based on something, but its not going to be fully accurate.’”
The ‘Reel’ Truth: Filmmakers Should Strive for Historical Accuracy in Cinema
Catherine Li and Ruhi Samudra | April 22, 2024
Students themselves benefit most by actively participating in the exercises within their PE class. “Coaches or PE teachers get disappointed because its like, ‘Im not upset that youre not doing what I asked you to do. Im upset that youre going to continue to be like this,’” PE teacher and Athletic Director Peter Abe said. “And thats only going to hurt you long term, which will lead to things that they cant even fathom in terms of illness and disease.”
Yes, PE Classes Are Worth Your Effort
Mary Lee, Staff Writer | April 12, 2024
A ban on the sale of fur clothing is the most straightforward way to discourage animal cruelty. “Fashion brands that use real fur have no regard for animal welfare,” Biology Club member and sophomore Grace Li said. “That’s why more and more public attention is being directed towards fur alternatives.”
Faux Fur, Real Ethics: Why It Is Time for the United States to Ban Fur
Claire Liu, Staff Writer | April 10, 2024
Students need to normalize taking a variety of classes that are not necessarily APs so that they have non stressful and fun classes in between their more challenging ones. “I’m not against APS,” junior Nero Xu said. “I think APs are a good challenge and can help you look good for colleges. What I’m against is students cramming APs even though they clearly don’t like it or are overwhelmed by it.”
APs or Actually Problematic?
Elizabeth Gao and Stephanie Hwang | March 29, 2024
Most people don’t consider dropping a class when it’s dragging them down. Here’s why they should.
The Hard Question of Hard Classes: Drop or Stay?
Jordan Hata, Staff Writer | March 15, 2024
Comedians hosting award shows should tailor their jokes to focus attention on the achievements of their guests in the audience rather than bringing them down. “I think its inappropriate for them to be making jokes that could offend others, and instead, they should be making jokes that could make everyone laugh,” junior Anaika Nagireddy said.
Award Show Hosts Need to Step Back From Offensive Jokes
Parmin Zamani, News Editor | March 8, 2024
Recent movie musicals, including “Mean Girls” and “Wonka,” were not properly advertised as musicals, resulting in many audience members being surprised when the actors eventually broke out into song. “There was literally no singing in the trailer and I was very confused as a fan of the musical for Mean Girls,” senior Kody Lin said. “I have friends in theater that didnt know the movie itself was going to be a musical.”
Movie ‘Thespian-age’: Hollywood Should Not Hide Movie Musicals
Sonia Wang and Catherine Li | February 29, 2024
Many young Sephora shoppers spend money on expensive products in order to keep up with trends showcased online, according to math teacher Melanie Clark. “I dont really agree with young kids spending so much money on beauty products,” Clark said. “I feel like they should start at CVS and just learn how to take care of themselves. I feel like it creates an entitled generation where they think that they deserve certain things, when in reality theyre pretty expensive.”
Sephora 10-Year-Olds Are Getting Out of Hand — Here is What Should be Done
Kayley Winata and Sonia Wang | February 27, 2024
Though BookTok encases a wide range of genres and titles, novels are often recommended more for their aesthetic rather than their content, according to Varsity. Many readers do not approach these books critically and can fall into harmful patterns of romanticization that bleed into real life. “I think that some books are promoted as romances when in fact theyre promoting a lot of toxic relationships that people are now perceiving as commonly acceptable,” senior Zara Hommez said. “So I think its important to draw the line between what is constituted as fiction and what is constituted as reality.”
Novel Sensations: Booktok Fans Should ‘Read Between the Lines’
Mary Lee and Catherine Li | February 23, 2024
Portola High can implement a better rain protection system by opening up more space for students at school. “Because it’s a Southern California school, it’s an outdoor school, so there’s really not much to do to protect kids from the rain,” junior Lulu (Jingxin) Zhao said. “However, I think it would be good if we could open more classrooms during rainy days too, so kids don’t have to eat out in lunch or crowd in the gym.”
Rain, Rain Go Away: Advocating for School Protection
Maitri Allani and Claire Chan | February 20, 2024
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The student news site of Portola High School
Opinion