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
Sonia Wang

Sonia Wang, Features Editor

Sonia Wang is the Features Editor and a Business Manager for her third and final year on the Portola Pilot. This year, she plans to utilize her skills to make as much money for the Pilot as possible. When she’s not chasing down interview sources or trying to find advertisers, you can find her reading a good fantasy book, journaling or trying to take a much-needed nap.

All content by Sonia Wang
For twins and freshmen Cal and Tessay Ulicny, playing sports together has always been a way for the siblings to bond, according to Tessa Ulicny. “We’ve done so many sports together,” Tessa Ulicny said. “We did soccer together, and we helped each other. And even now with water polo, we help each other. We help each other all the time to get better, and I love that.”

Twins Cal and Tessa Ulicny Make a ‘Splash’ on Varsity Water Polo

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | October 31, 2024
The new club policy has potential clubs applying at the end of the year instead of the beginning, a process initially proposed by the ASB advisers, according to junior and club commissioner Nami Motwani. “There was a lot of discourse throughout the entirety of our whole club process to do it a year earlier, just because it makes one of my jobs easier,” Motwani said. “It also makes sure that clubs are able to socialize and kind of market through the beginning of the school year.”

New Year, New Policy: How the New Club Policy Brings Positive Changes

Sonia Wang and Suhana Kaur | October 9, 2024
Utility player and senior Ryder Tonkovich prepares to shoot a goal against El Segundo High in the first quarter. Different players are substituted in and out of the match to create the most effective team dynamic, according to head boys’ water polo coach Kate Avery. “Especially in those close, competitive games, we want to keep the six or seven players that are performing the best and have the best chemistry to maintain momentum.”

Boys’ Water Polo Pulls Off Thrilling Comeback Win Against El Segundo High

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | October 1, 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 and Senna Kahf | September 19, 2024
Many of head baseball coach Bryan Resnick's videos have received millions of views, being a platform to connect with people from different states. “I put out a video about how to hit a home run, and I just started seeing it getting shared and shared and shared and just snowballed,” Resnick said. “I’m really most proud of just being able to build something that people enjoy.”

Home Plate Humor: Baseball Coach Resnick Mixes Comedy and Content Creation

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | May 30, 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
Junior Bronson Pearson passes the baton to senior Rider Cooper, who acts as the anchor during the 4x100 relay at the Portola vs. Laguna Hills dual meet on April 9, allowing him to sprint to the finish and secure the win for the Bulldogs. “All my teammates have been super supportive by pushing me in practice and racing me,” Cooper said.

Senior Rider Cooper Shatters Records and Rises to the Top

Aditi Salunkhe and Sonia Wang | April 24, 2024
After a long day, these comforting animated films that bring the adventures of four-legged protagonists to the silver screen are the perfect way to unwind. Although not ranked within this review, other notable animated dog movies include “All Dogs Go to Heaven” (1989) and “Oliver & Company” (1988).

Having a ‘Ruff’ Day? Here are Five Animated Dog Movies to Watch

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | April 16, 2024
FIRST Robotics president and senior Amy Shok adjusts the robot created for the Orange County Robotics competition before a game. “We had to make sure that everything was going according to plan, and if there was any problem, we were prepared to fix it,” Shok said. “I think that problem-solving mindset was evident in our robot as well. Our robot had a lot of different changes made because the original design didn't account for things such as how the robot would be made.”

FIRST Robotics Team Creates a ‘Crescendo’ at Orange County Competition

Sonia Wang and Kayley Winata | April 9, 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 didn't 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 don't 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 they're 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
Instead of using Elf on the Shelf as a holiday tradition that constantly watches children, parents should instead teach children the value of kindness and good behavior without attaching it to a creepy elf. “I think in general, you need to convince kids to have integrity themselves, rather than using some device to kind of manipulate them into that,” sophomore Tristan Kim said.

Unveiling the Darker Side of Elf on the Shelf

Sonia Wang and Aditi Salunkhe | December 19, 2023
Senior Anusha Namburu and senior Haniya Hassaan eat chicken biryani at the Diwali party hosted by the South Asian Student Association “The festivities are associated with firecrackers or explosions that only happen once a year and are often hallmarks of our childhood,” Portola High SASA club outreach director and senior Amogh Baddam said. “We’re just seeing everybody celebrate our culture and having fun together in traditional clothes.”

South Asian Student Association Hosts 7th Annual Diwali Party

Aditi Salunkhe and Sonia Wang | November 20, 2023
Raising awareness about the littering issues at Portola High will help students become more proactive in throwing away their trash and creating a pristine campus. “Everyone else has to do their part in maintaining a clean, organized environment,” freshman Claire Liu said. “And when people don't do that, it's just really upsetting.”

Portola High’s Littering Issue is a Ca-“trash”-trophe

Sonia Wang and Kayley Winata | November 13, 2023
Boys’ water polo captain, two-meter starting player and junior Luke Porter prepares to score a goal against Long Beach Poly High in the third quarter of a non-league match. “I'm really happy with how I've grown as a player,” Porter said. “I actually switched positions once I came to high school, and I've really grown a lot since I started so that's been really cool.”

From Splash to Success: Boys’ Water Polo Captains Answer Questions About Teamwork

Sonia Wang and Mia Jong | October 27, 2023
Attacker and junior Ryder Tonkovich cocks his arm to score a point against Long Beach Poly High in the second quarter. The Bulldogs’ win against the Jackrabbits added to their long list of victories this season, allowing them to build their momentum and confidence, according to head boys’ water polo coach Kate Avery. “We have been playing some good teams and we've come out on top, which is great,” Avery said. “Our offense is looking really good. Our defense has been looking fine. We can always improve there. We are a defensive-minded team anyways.”

Boys’ Water Polo Dominates Their Game Against Long Beach Poly High

Sonia Wang and Mia Jong | September 28, 2023
Parasocial relationships become unhealthy when viewers start prioritizing their favorite celebrity over real-life interaction. In extreme cases, parasocial relationships can be traumatic for the viewer as well as the celebrity because it can lead to attacks on personal character, threats and stalking behaviors, according to “13 Fanning the Flames of Fandom: Celebrity Worship, Parasocial Interaction, and Stalking.”

When the Connection Turns Dark, Viewers Turn on Their Phones: The Dangers of Parasocial Relationships

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | May 16, 2023
Senior Philip Li created the piece “The Great Whale Fall” with acrylic on wood for his portfolio application to the Rhode Island School of Design. Li incorporated complementary colors orange and blue and created contrast using whales and bananas, according to Li. “‘The Great Whale Fall’ is my first foray into surrealism and symbolism, incorporating a range of elements and ideas,” Li said. “I broke the conventional purpose of grids by making them part of the art itself to represent the flowing time.”

With Acrylic and Denim, Seniors Philip Li and Zixuan Zhang Head to Art School

Sonia Wang, Staff Writer | May 5, 2023
Student resource officer Melissa Porter watches as students during Office Hours attend an informational meeting held by the Irvine Police Department to learn about e-vehicle rules and safety. Sophomore Justin Hwang said that the information was mostly a reminder of established rules. “Most of these rules are common sense, but I get why they would give us a review,” Hwang said. “I’ve seen a lot of students riding without helmets and double-riding.”

Administration Implements New E-Vehicle Registration System

Sonia Wang, Staff Writer | March 17, 2023
Junior Eric Liao and senior Nora Tang sort through the mini prints sold at Night of the Arts. As Visual Arts Board president, Tang was in charge of organizing the decorations and communicating with the board to choose the layout and music. “She communicates really well with all of us, and she's just a great person overall to work with,” vice president and senior Summer Hsieh said. “She's good at making decisions that are great for the Visual Arts Board and takes care of the technical stuff such as making spreadsheets and copies.”

The Art of Leadership: Senior Nora Tang Utilizes Creativity as President of the Visual Arts Board

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | March 3, 2023
Academic Decathlon students gather in math teacher and club adviser Eric Graham’s room as he goes over the procedures for the online essay competition. Although the two JV members don’t take the essay, all nine varsity members compete.

Academic Decathlon Participates in First Competition of the School Year

Sonia Wang, Staff Writer | February 3, 2023
S3 Episode 03: Irvine Students Who Are Breaking the 'Bubble'

S3 Episode 03: Irvine Students Who Are Breaking the ‘Bubble’

Tara Vatandoust and Sonia Wang | January 5, 2023
Senior Charis Kim sketches her original characters Polaris and Aron as she experiments with different design options. Kim draws inspiration for her art from media she consumes, such as movies “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and “The Mitchells vs. the Machines.”

Senior Charis Kim Artistically Expresses Herself Through the Creation of Original Characters

Sonia Wang, Staff Writer | January 3, 2023
Utility player and sophomore Ryder Tonkovich prepares to score in a league game against Northwood. The majority of varsity players such as goalie and team captain Grant Kramer are seniors, which motivates the team to work harder. “My mindset is that because I’m a senior, it could be any game or any practice could be our last practice,” Kramer said. “Because if you lose, you’re done.” (Photo Courtesy of Grant Kramer)

Boys’ Water Polo Makes Bulldog History as League Champions and CIF Runner-up

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | November 15, 2022
Students in the Portobellas a cappella group hold practices every Friday during office hours and are currently practicing “Waiting for the World to Change” by John Mayer. Before each rehearsal, the group members warm up their voices with singing exercises in a semicircle. Instead of a conductor, the group snaps fingers to keep time, according to junior Nithila Francis.

From Soprano to Bass, Meet Portola’s Student-Directed A Cappella Group: the Portobellas

Mia Jong and Sonia Wang | September 21, 2022
Many school libraries exclude banned books in their availability of books, specifically books featuring minority groups like POC and LGBTQ+ communities according to PEN America.

Banned Books Negatively Impact Representation

Arshia Sista and Sonia Wang | September 20, 2022
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Sonia Wang