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
Musicians today have a large influence on their fans, and sometimes their fans are affected by the words they say. Thus, it is important for fans to form their own opinions rather than sorely listening to their favorite artists’ takes on political and social issues.
Follow the Music, Not the Musicians
Stephanie Hwang and Nora Aljazzar | October 3, 2024
The new phone guidelines spark engagement in various class settings since students are no longer allowed to use their cell phones and must devote their attention to learning instead. “My [advisement] students are more engaged in whatever's happening,” Principal John Pehrson said. “[By] having the cell phones put aside, now they can just naturally get their heads up and interact with people around them.”
New Phone Practice ‘Disconnects’ Students From Their Phones to ‘Connect’ Them to Class
Nicole Lu and Kayley Winata | September 25, 2024
The U.S. Men’s Gymnastics Team won bronze at the 2024 Olympics, which ended a 16-year-long Olympic medal drought, according to NPR. “Since it became kind of popular over the course of the Olympics, more boy gymnasts kind of see themselves represented in a very highly televised event, where usually it doesn't happen,” former gymnast and senior Hutchison said. “A lot of the promotion for gymnastics is focused on female gymnasts instead of male gymnasts, so it trending over time is really helpful.”
Defying Gravity and Expectations, Men’s Representation in Gymnastics Soars to New Heights
Mia Jong and Dania Yamani | September 24, 2024
Portables on campus have varying levels of quality control — although some teachers have reported little issues, other teachers such as business teacher Katherine Dillon have had to deal with issues such as malfunctioning ACs. “My air conditioning wasn't working for the first two or three weeks, and it was reaching temperatures in the classroom of 87 degrees when we had students in the classroom,” Dillon said. “I had to go teach in the Learning Commons two times when it got unbearable.”
The Pitfalls of the Portables: Maintain Better Quality Control for Portables
Sonia Wang, Senna Kahf | September 19, 2024
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. It's 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 she's done for women's college basketball,” prospective Wellesley college girls’ basketball player and senior Emaleena Elson said. “She's 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 shouldn't 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. “It's getting harder for us to distinguish sick students because students are just saying they're ill when in reality they're not,” AP Physics and engineering teacher Anthony Pham said. “We're 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 it's 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 it's like, ‘I'm not upset that you're not doing what I asked you to do. I'm upset that you're going to continue to be like this,’” PE teacher and Athletic Director Peter Abe said. “And that's only going to hurt you long term, which will lead to things that they can't 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 it's 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
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The student news site of Portola High School
Opinion