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
Claudia Lin

Claudia Lin, Co Editor-in-Chief

Claudia Lin is your co-editor-in-chief for her third year on the Pilot. She is looking forward to making as many memories as possible for her last year on the Pilot, whether it be with new people she gets to interview or staff members she works with. When she is not editing articles or cringing at Ryne’s unusual usage of emojis, she can be found communicating with Pilot staff through Pikachu GIFs, rewatching Gilmore Girls, listening to Taylor Swift, and maybe even being mistaken for Charlotte at times.

All content by Claudia Lin
For senior Aarushi Shankar, the flute provides many opportunities to create melodies and find out what she likes in her compositions. “I take my flute, and I start playing a melody. Then I work around things,” Shankhar said. “If I hear something that I like, I save that, and I write it in… Then I started working out like harmonies and chords. So thats super helpful for me, because its a lot harder for me to just sing out like a melody.”

Aarushi Shankar ‘Composes’ Her Life Through ‘bitterness’

Kayleen Kim and Claudia Lin | April 29, 2022
S2 Episode 04: Womens Rights: Exploring Feminism during Women’s History Month

S2 Episode 04: Women’s Rights: Exploring Feminism during Women’s History Month

Dheeksha Bhima Reddy, Claudia Lin, Ryan Jung, Shaina Taebi, and Tara Vatandoust | March 31, 2022
As senior Amitoj Singh plans to leave for college in the fall, he hopes to leave a “Singh” legacy for younger brother and sophomore Arjit Singh. “In seventh grade, I tried to run for JTMS president,” Arjit Singh said. “I honestly had no idea where to start, I was like ‘How do I run? How do I start a campaign?’ so Amitoj definitely had to teach me every single thing about that, and I’ve been using it over the years.”

Positivity is a Singh Thing: Q+A with the Singh Siblings

Tyler Kim and Claudia Lin | March 25, 2022
Throughout the virtual ceremony on March 16, National History Day - Orange County coordinators presented various awards beyond the conventional individual and group awards, including the California Global Education Project awards. CGEP regional director Lisa McAllister presented this award, which was given to projects that fulfilled criteria regarding global learning and the United Nations sustainable goals.

National History Day Competitors Named Finalists at Regional Competition

Claudia Lin | March 22, 2022

DIY Shamrock Shake

Charlotte Cao, Celine Lee, and Claudia Lin | March 17, 2022
Screen Shot 2022-03-09 at 9.32.47 AM

[Photo] Boys’ Basketball Edges Out Victory in Senior Night Matchup Against Irvine High

February 4, 2022
The Portola High community rallied in support of the victims who experienced racist remarks following the incident at Laguna Hills High. Over 500 spectators – the maximum COVID-19 gym capacity – attended the home boys’ basketball game against Irvine High on Jan. 28 in support of the boys’ basketball team, according to head coach Brian Smith.

Racist remarks targeting Portola High students prompt community outrage

Ryne Dunman and Claudia Lin | February 18, 2022
S2 Episode 02: Love Languages: How Do You Define Love?

S2 Episode 02: Love Languages: How Do You Define Love?

Charlotte Cao, Arnav Chandan, Claudia Lin, and Arshia Sista | February 8, 2022
Offensive midfielder and freshman Jenna Verplancke takes possession of the ball, blocking a pass from the Trojans. Eventually, Verplancke was able to bring the ball near the goal of the Bulldogs’ side of the field but failed to additionally score during the second half.

Girls’ Soccer Ties While Maintaining First-Place in League

Claudia Lin and Bia Shok | February 7, 2022
Long-term math substitute teacher Eugene Hung (right) was a featured panelist at the KPCC panel in May 2018 where he discussed the impact of the #MeToo movement on faith communities. In addition to his work as a speaker, Hung has written for various faith-based and secular publications, such as the Huffington Post, Sojourners, Red Letter Christians and Christians for Biblical Equality.

Shattering the Silence

Claudia Lin and Kayla Moshayedi | December 9, 2021
Choir student teacher Nina Crecia conducts Cantabella choir at the “Homeward Bound” choir concert on Oct. 15. In the future, Crecia said she hopes to cultivate a program for high school students titled “Every Choir Should Have a Song,” inviting students to share why they joined choir and their passion for singing.

From Children’s Story to Classical Stage: Choir Student Teacher Nina Crecia Composes Opera Based on ‘The Little Prince’

Charlotte Cao and Claudia Lin | December 7, 2021
To conclude the Student Advisory Board on Education conference, delegates worked on electing the next student board member, a high school senior who sits on the State Board of Education as its seventh member. Each year, SABE hosts an election process that narrows down 12 semi-finalists to the top six, and after, the SBE reduces it to one, according to Tesoro High senior Stephanie Hu.

Student Advisory Board on Education Conference Develops Policy Proposals for State Board of Education

Claudia Lin | November 9, 2021
Individual awards for the contest include senior Ryne Dunman for first place in Features Writing, senior Michelle Kim for third place in Opinion Writing, senior Clara Ferreira Lopes for second place in Photography, sophomore Tara Vatandoust for second place in Features Writing and sophomore Tyler Kim for third place in News Writing.

Portola Pilot Takes Off at Virtual CSUN Journalism Day Conference

Claudia Lin, Co-Editor in Chief | November 1, 2021
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Chamber Choir director Scott Glysson motions for the ensemble to bow following their performances of three variations of “Ubi Caritas.” It was the collegiate choir’s first performance for a large-scale audience since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Glysson.

[Photo] Fall Choir Concert Performers Begin their ‘Homeward Bound’ to In-person Concerts

October 25, 2021
Fall Starbucks Drinks Review

Fall Starbucks Drinks Review

Charlotte Cao, Celine Lee, and Claudia Lin | October 4, 2021
Growing up, social studies teacher and junior varsity girls’ soccer coach Samantha Ezratty has always wanted to teach kindergarten due to her love for kids. After volunteering with them, she said she realized that her love for history was something she wanted to pursue for the rest of her life as she was always involved in her high school’s student government, and it was the first place she learned to write.

Girls’ Soccer Program Scores a Goal with New Coach Samantha Ezratty

Claudia Lin and Arshia Sista | September 29, 2021
Following the release of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” controversy emerged regarding Disney CEO Bob Chapek’s comment. Chapek called the film an experiment due to it being the first franchise title to hit theaters without offering streaming services through Disney+, according to the Atlantic. Actor Simu Liu, who plays Shang-Chi, responded to these comments on Twitter saying, “We are not an experiment. We are the surprise.”

Martial Arts Meets Marvel in ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’

Claudia Lin and Tyler Kim | September 17, 2021
All 11 songs from “SOUR” have placed on the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 30 as of June 1 with “good 4 u” taking up the No. 2 spot on the charts.“SOUR” also launched at No.1 on the Billboard 200, surpassing singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” for the most successful week of 2021 for any album, according to Billboard.

Olivia Rodrigo’s Debut Album is ‘good 4 u’

Charlotte Cao and Claudia Lin | June 3, 2021
Northwood High sophomore Zilin Jin created the selected design for the mural, part of which is shown in the mock-up above. The design conveys the vigor of youth-led social justice activism through bright swatches of color and an emphasis on unity.

‘Paint for No Hate’ Mural Project Draws Attention to Asian Hate Crimes

Claudia Lin and Justin Tang | June 2, 2021
Senior Ashley Presnell currently plays attacking positions on the field. Starting as a midfielder her sophomore year, she built her skills over her junior and senior years to be well-suited for the position. “As someone who plays on attack, I wasn’t a high-scoring player in previous years, so for me, my personal battle was taking more shots on goal, and that’s something that I’ve worked towards improving all four years and I finally feel confident about it this year,” Presnell said.

Senior Ashley Presnell Sticks to the Sport She Loves

Claudia Lin and Bia Shok | June 1, 2021
Pop Performance drummer and sophomore Sky Jaan practices with his band, which consists of guitarists junior Cody Maier and senior Trevor Howden and bass player and senior Jeffrey Wang.

[Photo] Drum Roll Please for the Only Drummer in Pop Performance, Sky Jaan

May 11, 2021
Northwood High’s offensive player holds the ball as Weidner and Zdanavage double team her and stall so defense has enough time to adjust accordingly. “We knew that Northwood was going to come back and be an even more difficult opponent than the last time we played them because the last time we played them, we beat them,” defender and junior Diya Nadig said.

Girls’ Lacrosse vs. Northwood 5/3

Claudia Lin, Co-News Editor | May 7, 2021
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.

[Photo] Student Small Businesses: eCommerce Company Takes Senior to the Moon

May 6, 2021
Senior Natalie Yu constructs a prototype of a small mechanical ‘automata box’ during Introduction to Engineering Design, which was first introduced as a course option for the 2020-21 school year. The debut of Principles of Engineering next school year is the second step of a collaborative effort between engineering teacher Anthony Pham, principal John Pehrson and IUSD’s ROP/CTE division to create an engineering pathway for Portola High students.

[Photo] New Engineering Course Builds Framework for Hands-On Learning

April 29, 2021
Right forward and junior Krista Calkins uses her body to protect the ball from the Vaqueros’ defender with hopes of finding another forward to drive it up the field. Calkins was substituted in for Song in the last seven minutes of the half.

Girls’ Soccer Scores Victory and Redemption against the Vaqueros

Claudia Lin, Co-News Editor | April 29, 2021
“Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” features old and new collaborations with artists Colbie Caillat, Maren Morris and Keith Urban. Caillat described working with Swift once more as “an instant yes,” according to Insider.

Taylor Swift’s ‘Fearless’ Re-Recordings Symbolize Reclamation

Claudia Lin and Ariana Wu | April 26, 2021
Football takes a break from their warm-up during a practice Feb. 26 in preparation for their shortened spring season, which will run from March 12 to April 16. For viewers, four weeks of freshman, junior varsity and varsity football games up to April 8 are currently scheduled to be broadcast over the National Federation of State High School Associations’ online network.

Spring Sports Return to Play under Stringent Precautions

Claudia Lin and Justin Tang | March 16, 2021
Junior Jay Hernandez assembled a box to store their Dungeons & Dragons supplies as well as smaller, unfinished art projects. Plastered on top of the box is a painting by Hernandez of the symbol of “The Bureau of Balance,” where most of the Balance Arc of the D&D podcast “Adventure Zone” starts. The symbol is adorned with forget-me-not flowers, which reference the main plot point of the podcast: to remember the past, according to Hernandez. “It was also a reminder to me to hold tight to the precious memories I’ve made with my friends,” Hernandez said.

Art through the Eyes of a Dungeon Master: Junior Jay Hernandez

Erin Choi and Claudia Lin | March 8, 2021
Club member and freshman Alexander Epps often practices signing to co-president and junior Julianna Epps in one-to-one conversations. Together, they work on basics by asking and answering questions in sign language like, “Do you have a sister?”

American Sign Language Club Motions for Inclusivity

Claudia Lin, Co-News Editor | February 26, 2021
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and former President Donald Trump, two of the most prominent politicians who have been idolized, regularly used social media sites like Twitter to communicate with their constituents, according to the Washington Post. These interactions lend themselves to the creation of online personas that attract Americans.

American Politicians should not be American Idols

Charlotte Cao and Claudia Lin | February 23, 2021
Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’ Is on the Road to Success

Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Drivers License’ Is on the Road to Success

Claudia Lin, Co-News Editor | February 4, 2021
“Soul” breaks ground in Pixar Animation history by being the first film to feature an African-American protagonist. Behind the scenes, Pixar also defies expectations in representation by including one of the most diverse voice casts, which has a majority of Black voice actors.

Pixar Pours Heart and ‘Soul’ into Existential Animated Film

Sidra Asif, Grace Baek, and Claudia Lin | January 22, 2021
Drawn by AP Studio Art: Drawing student and senior Natalie Yu, this piece is titled “Smile! You’re on Camera,” which is the phrase that Yu explores in her art. Through her use of inverted images and a self-portrait, Yu captures the message that being on camera is something she fears rather than smiles for.

AP Art Students Self-Reflect by Compiling Annual Portfolios

Claudia Lin, Co-News Editor | January 11, 2021
Hours before the album’s release, Swift took to Instagram on Dec. 11 to post promotional pictures for “willow,” the lead single off her surprise album “evermore.” Just five months after the release of her previous album, “folklore,” Swift treats fans to a similarly-styled journey in her second surprise drop of 2020.

Taylor Swift’s Genre-Defying Skill Lasts ‘evermore’

Claudia Lin and Akshay Raj | January 4, 2021
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, human activity came to a standstill, giving the natural world time to heal. Spending seemingly-endless days in quarantine allowed many across the globe, including those in the Portola High community, to examine their individual impacts on the environment and make personal changes for the better.

Stepping Towards Earth’s Crises

Lauren Hsu and Claudia Lin | December 14, 2020
Of all of Max Gatti’s accomplishments in football, he is most proud of winning the Pacific Coast League during last year’s season, in which he played as a two-way starter.

Maxwell Gatti Reflects on his Football Journey

Charlotte Cao and Claudia Lin | November 9, 2020
Because of its increasing popularity, the company that released “Among Us”, Innersloth, released merchandise for fans to purchase including t-shirts and plushies.

A Popular Game is ‘Among Us’

Claudia Lin, News Editor | November 3, 2020
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
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
Junior Rachel Abalos interviews junior Sofia Fidel about her thoughts on seeing people going out despite the stay-at-home orders. Throughout the podcast, she answered questions focusing on her daily emotions with both of her parents returning home after diligently working at a local hospital.

A Human Face Podcast Amplifies Voices Amid Global Pandemic

Charlotte Cao and Claudia Lin | June 4, 2020
In normal circumstances, Korean American Young Leader members would gather at the Korean American Center for meetings. However, the group has been keeping in touch and plans to release a future podcast episode focusing on the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Korean American Young Leaders Empower Asian-American Youth

Claudia Lin and Jaein Kim | June 2, 2020
Junior Raksha Rajeshmohan played the lead role in the spring “Cinderella” musical. By watching and writing about other local theater productions, she was able to utilize her unique perspective to improve her performance on stage.

Junior Raksha Rajeshmohan Nominated for Theater Critics Award

Claudia Lin and Zara Shirwany | May 27, 2020
In order to cure the recent boredom due to stay-at-home orders, many people have resorted to online gaming as a means for passing the time with loved ones. “Psych” is one of the most popular quarantine games. Its development dates back to 2015 when comedian Ellen DeGeneres designed the app.

Best Multiplayer Gaming Apps to Play During Quarantine

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | April 24, 2020
In regards to sourcing their coffee beans, Able Coffee Roasters works with a foundation named Café Femenino. Dedicated to improving the economic and social rights of female coffee workers, Café Femenino pays a fair trade cost for all of the coffee beans that these women farm.

Local Coffee Company Brews Cheer During Crisis

Claudia Lin and Charlotte Cao | April 10, 2020

City of Irvine Breaks Ground With Innovative Projects

Jordan Lee and Claudia Lin | March 24, 2020
Should the Houston Astros Be Stripped of the World Series Title?

Should the Houston Astros Be Stripped of the World Series Title?

Claudia Lin and Simrat Singh | March 13, 2020

An Asterisk for the Astros

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | March 12, 2020
After months of diligent practice, sophomore and Magic Club president Desmond Wong performs the famous card spring trick that has been a long-standing favorite in magic history. To engage people who are unfamiliar with magic, club meetings normally consist of members staging close up magic tricks in a parlor-like setting.

Revealing the Inner Workings of Magic Club

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | March 12, 2020
Sophomore Ashley Kwon calls her dad, who just finished performing a surgery in Seoul, for their daily check-in via FaceTime.

Mini Love Stories

Charlotte Cao, Claudia Lin, and Kate Hayashi | February 21, 2020

The Price of Promoting Diversity

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | February 19, 2020
Nate Taylor

Should Ethnic Studies Be a Graduation Requirement in High Schools?

Claudia Lin and Lauren Hsu | February 19, 2020
After months of preparation, the DECA team competes in its first competition in Anaheim where they competed against other schools located in Orange County.

DECA Business Club Prepares for Inaugural Competition

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | January 17, 2020
Senior and Girl Scout Troop 2065 member Lauren Kettner successfully achieved her Gold Award by introducing her project “Reach Out to Knowledge,” which focused on helping educate children on concepts they may forget throughout the summer at local libraries.

Empowered Girl Scouts Pursue Gold Award Projects

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | January 15, 2020
Should the Gradebook be Blacked Out During Winter Break?

Should the Gradebook be Blacked Out During Winter Break?

Claudia Lin and Jaein Kim | December 20, 2019

Take a Break, Make it Closed

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | December 20, 2019

Bulldogs Deliver Victory Against Irvine for Forthcoming Game

Claudia Lin and Charlotte Cao | December 18, 2019
With suicide being the second leading cause of death, Hope Squad focuses on targetting this prevalent issue through three important steps: prevention, intervention and postvention.

Hope Squad Brings Peer Support to Campus

Bia Shok and Claudia Lin | December 3, 2019
Passion Day coordinator and visual arts teacher Kearci Moir works with junior and committee member Mona Tavassoli to develop new methods that seek to increase student engagement in the annual Passion Day event. They plan on executing this through sending out a google form asking students about their passions to ensure that there is a session suitable for a diverse student body.

Passion Day Planning Committee Recruits Student Voices

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | November 15, 2019
Ariana Wu, Kristen Ok, Saachi Pavani, Allison Shi, and Lauren Hwang remain in their seats, waiting for one of the three total panel presentations to commence. Among the many speakers in this conference, the female judges ‒especially one first-generation immigrant judge‒ stood out because of their personal stories on the difficulties of career advancement.

Aspiring Female Students Empowered by Youth Female Civic Leadership Conference

Charlotte Cao and Claudia Lin | October 31, 2019
Jeralyn Newton witnesses Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s weekly event where the mammals that have recovered from sickness or injuries are released back into the ocean.

Science Teacher’s Fulfilling Summer Working with Marine Life

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | September 26, 2019
Cappies members sophomore Paris Suttle, junior Raksha Rajeshmohan, senior Nick Sanchez, sophomore Sushmitha Koomar and sophomore Kristen Fong attend “American Mariachi” at South Coast Repertory for their first show as a team. After the show, the group participated in insightful conversations regarding the set, lighting and design of the production.

VAPA Sets Stage for New Cappies Program

Claudia Lin, Staff Writer | September 24, 2019
From left to right, counseling interns Jamie Murphy, Diana Gutierezz, and Chloe Pines help orient and support students throughout the tumultuous times of high school.

Chat with New Counseling Interns

Erin Choi and Claudia Lin | September 23, 2019
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Claudia Lin