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
Elizabeth Gao

Elizabeth Gao, Staff Writer

Elizabeth Gao is a staff writer for her first year on the Portola Pilot. This is her last year at Portola, but she’s honored to be writing for the Pilot. When she’s not stuck on a multiple choice question, she either lets her nine birds pull at her hair or she listens to Taylor Swift and tries to find as many lines from songs that help her understand her feelings.

All content by Elizabeth Gao
Detective Roland (Jason Wu Chen) suffers a nervous breakdown after being thwarted by kleptomaniac Shalia (senior Sanika Nihalani) once again. In a Q&A after the play, Wu Chen said that he added an element of improvisation to the scene when he spontaneously hurled his cigar lighter into the airport wall.

Honors Ensemble Play “Gate F-10” Takes Off for the Last Time

Marianne Chan and Elizabeth Gao | May 29, 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
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
Tackling Chronic Conditions Club treasurer and sophomore Keerthana Pillai arranges mini raspberry cheesecakes for one of the club’s bake sales that lasted from Jan. 5 to Jan. 6. All proceeds go to Debra of America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people diagnosed with the chronic condition Epidermolysis Bullosa Through programs and funding research, according to Pillai.

Tackling Chronic Conditions Club Brings Light to Patients’ Lives

Marianne Chan and Elizabeth Gao | March 1, 2024
Unconscious biases can affect anyone, including teachers, according to social studies teacher Shameemah Motala. Though she did not use anonymous grading at first, grading for the AP exams taught her to implement anonymous methods into her own class.

It’s Time to Start Evening Out the ‘Grading’ Field

Michael Sun and Elizabeth Gao | January 17, 2024
As the world continues to evolve, the notion of lifetime appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court stands at odds with injecting fresh perspectives and safeguarding justice. Enacting 18-year term limits would be one way to avoid the gerontocracy associated with partisan politics.

It is Time to Establish Terms of Office Limits in the Supreme Court

Michael Sun and Elizabeth Gao | December 2, 2023

Daylight saving Time is Ruinous to Our Wellbeing

Elizabeth Gao and Marianne Chan | November 17, 2023
Plagiarism and other forms of academic dishonesty can be addictive, fueling the practice of corner-cutting and creating other bad habits, according to the City University of New York. “Getting away with [academic dishonesty] is probably the biggest ego-booster and motivator that someone can get,” former AP Psychology student and senior Vedant Tiwari said.

Don’t ‘Play’ with Plagiarism: You’ll End Up Destroying Your Future

Michael Sun and Elizabeth Gao | November 15, 2023
Wide receiver and senior Kamran Jahromi sprints after catching a punt in a football game against Laguna Hills High on Oct. 27. Wide receiver and senior Rider Cooper defends Jahromi against opposing players as he advances across the field.

No. 1 PCL Wide Receiver Kamran Jahromi ‘Receives’ All the Praise this Football Season

Camille Clement and Elizabeth Gao | November 15, 2023
Taylor Swift released her re-recorded album, “1989,” on Oct. 29. The birds on her original album cover were “trapped” on her shirt, but here, they are flying freely, demonstrating the freedom she gained after the fight with her previous label.

Rediscover the Resilience: Get Ready For a Nostalgic Journey Through ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’

Elizabeth Gao, Staff Writer | November 7, 2023

Club Merging is an Opportunity, Not a Deprivation

Mary Lee and Elizabeth Gao | November 6, 2023
Teacher librarian Amber Linehan holds up a copy of “Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner, which she picked up in a book club. “I know that some of the students are reading memoirs right now, and a lot of kids came in asking for recommendations,” Linehan said. “And I’d say, ‘Crying in H Mart’ is one of my favorite memoirs.”

Meet Portola High’s Newest Book Fanatic: Teacher Librarian Amber Linehan

Elizabeth Gao and Michael Sun | September 20, 2023
Olivia Rodrigo released her second album, “Guts,” on Sept. 8. She is the youngest artist to debut three number 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Variety Magazine.

Enchanting Echoes: Olivia Rodrigo’s ‘Guts’ Unveils a Melodic Journey of Courage and Connection

Elizabeth Gao, Staff Writer | September 18, 2023
There has been a drastic decrease in reading for teenagers since the 2010’s. “I think a lot of times right now, the way that our brains are wired with social media and the way that we use our phones,” Misenhimer said. “We scroll just really quick and skim and just move through things really fast. It's really hard for our brains right now and for ourselves to sit down and focus on a book for a long period of time.”

Portola Student and Teacher Hatch the Love for Reading

Shaina Taebi and Elizabeth Gao | April 17, 2023
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Elizabeth Gao