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
Stephanie Hwang

Stephanie Hwang, News Editor

Stephanie Hwang is the News Editor for her third and final year on the Portola Pilot. She hopes to finish out this year by continuing her addiction to signing up for 6 stories every cycle and calling her former senior friends at every opportunity to console herself after they departed this world (school). In her free time, you can catch her playing video games (especially Silksong) and slowly getting through her backlog of books.

All content by Stephanie Hwang
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has gained a stunning amount of traction on X, garnering 480 million views in August alone. “At least in my experience with political science, there's a correlation between people who consume political media and people who actually vote,” Social Studies Department Chair Jon Resendez said. “So, I think what you're getting is a not insignificant percentage of the actual voting population to see your media, and that feedback loop is going to continue to inspire him and his team.”

Gavin Newsom’s New Press Strategy Is Certainly “News-Some”

Claire Liu and Stephanie Hwang | September 23, 2025
Quarterback and sophomore Aliyah Wimbley help the Bulldogs keep up a strong offensive position that helped offense and sophomore Joey Nesland score an extra point toward the end of the third quarter. “We knew it was going to be a big game, so we knew that we had to pull every flag, make minimal mistakes,” wide receiver and sophomore Joey Nesland said. “I think we did that.”

Girls Flag Football ‘Touchdown’ Northwood in a 7-6 Victory

Stephanie Hwang, News Editor | September 19, 2025
Basketball athlete Audrey Shiono decorates her backpack and her water bottle to bond with her teammates by making something unique to them that encourages her during games. “I got my first Squishmallow keychain at Walgreens shopping with my friend because she said that it represents my personality,” Shiono said. “My other friend then bought me the blue Squishmallow keychain for the same reason. I love having them on my bag as a reminder of staying positive while playing and practicing.”

Form and Function: How Athletes Decorate Their Gear for Team Bonding and Self-Expression

Stephanie Hwang and Mary Lee | June 3, 2025
While in the development of a variety of students’ passion projects, many have learned the importance of planning out each of the details. “[When starting a passion project,] just get a base idea,” said sophomore Ava Lily Sunga. “Think it out before you actually start, so you can prepare to actually go on the journey to making it a thing.”

[Photo] Building Dreams After Hours: Portola Students’ Passion Projects

Tamara Bradley, Staff Writer | May 20, 2025
OMNI’s wildfire drone focuses not just on prevention but cost-efficiency. “Usually these drones go for around more than a thousand dollars,” media manager and junior Saanvi Gangireddy said. “But with our drone, we’re just modifying a preexisting drone to do the same functions, so it’s a lot cheaper and more affordable for communities who need it.”

When Loss Meets Determination: OMNI ‘Flies’ to New Heights in Community Safety

Stephanie Hwang, News Editor | May 16, 2025
While in the development of a variety of students’ passion projects, many have learned the importance of planning out each of the details. “[When starting a passion project,] just get a base idea,” said sophomore Ava Lily Sunga. “Think it out before you actually start, so you can prepare to actually go on the journey to making it a thing.”

Seniors Alexia Choi and Kiki Yang discuss the script and blocking positions ahead of the rehearsal. Prioritizing communication was essential to solving any problems that arose in the production process, according to Andrews. “One of the biggest issues we’ve had this year, since the advanced tech classes are split into 4th and 6th period, is that we don’t usually communicate well with each other,” Andrews said. “However, many of the problems that arise can be solved with good communication with all parts. Audio talks with lighting to sync up cues, lighting talks to costumes to make sure colors match, costumes talks to props, etc.”

Honors Tech Theater Springs Into Action For the Senior Play

Marianne Chan and Stephanie Hwang | May 8, 2025
“Warfare” was produced on a modest budget of $20 million and has grossed approximately $17.3 million worldwide since its release on April 11. What the film lacks in profitability, it makes up for with positive reviews from critics, holding a 94% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

[Photo] “Warfare” Offers an Epic Unfiltered Glimpse into the Harsh Reality of Combat

Aditi Salunkhe, Co-News Editor | April 29, 2025
Singer Selena Gomez and producer Benny Blanco’s first collaborative studio album “I Said I Loved You First” weaves together moments of heartache and healing, tracing their personal and artistic evolution before and after their paths crossed.

[Photo] Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco Ignite Sparks but Struggle to Keep the Flame Alive in “I Said I Loved You First”

Marianne Chan and Aditi Salunkhe | April 14, 2025
S5 Episode 6: Nostalgic Memories: Favorite Childhood Shows

S5 Episode 6: Nostalgic Memories: Favorite Childhood Shows

Stephanie Hwang, Co-News Editor | March 14, 2025
Fencer and sophomore Kylie Wynn readies her stance against her opponent, watching for their first action. “There’s different actions and then reactions,” Wynn said. “So you have to figure out what your opponent is. How do they react? How do they fence? How fast are they? And you have to adapt based on that and it's a different strategy, like, ‘am I gonna go fast or slow? Or, what kind of action can I use to counter them?’”

Sophomore Kylie Wynn ‘En Gardes’ to Success in her Fencing Journey

Stephanie Hwang, Co-News Editor | March 10, 2025
Members of the National Ethics Bowl Club compete at the Southern California Regional High School Ethics Bowl at Chapman University. “When we’re in competition season, meetings become a lot more structured and focused, though things still have a tendency to get a bit chaotic sometimes,” president and junior Moses An said. “It’s a collaborative process, and we put a lot of focus on teamwork.”

National Ethics Bowl Club Discusses the Difficult Questions of Life

Stephanie Hwang and Claire Liu | February 25, 2025
History teacher Megan Saia answers a question from a student about the mock trial for Honors American History, helping them understand the requirements for the project. Her guidance has helped many students improve important skills like public speaking.

History teacher Megan Saia Goes From Representing Parents to Teaching Students

Stephanie Hwang, Co-News Editor | February 24, 2025
Football huddles around head football coach Peter Abe and the coaching staff after the CIF State game on Dec. 19, 2024. Soon after, Abe was named Coach of the Year. “I'm just very thankful for the support that I've had with our administration and teaching staff on campus, to our parents, our support staff, our assistant coaches on campus that not only make it look like it's easy for me but help keep myself grounded and humble,” Abe said.

Football Carries Home Two Awards to End Season

Ruhi Samudra and Stephanie Hwang | January 30, 2025
2025 In 25 Words

2025 In 25 Words

Marianne Chan and Stephanie Hwang | January 14, 2025
S5 Episode 5: Inside Portola’s Electives — Balancing Student Interests and Practicality

S5 Episode 5: Inside Portola’s Electives — Balancing Student Interests and Practicality

Marianne Chan and Stephanie Hwang | November 7, 2024
Freshman Katie Tseo takes a focused swing at the tee box. The game started off well because of birdies on early holes, which rippled into good holes later on, according to head coach Wind Ralston.

Girls’ Golf ‘Strikes’ to Success Against University High and Makes Individual and Team CIF

Stephanie Hwang and Claire Liu | October 31, 2024
This is an example of the type of AI-generated image (created by Midjourney) that has been used on social media platforms like X, Instagram and Facebook in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Although it is easier than the actual fake hurricane images to prove these images are fake because of the pixelated nose, it is still important to practice media literacy to be able to recognize deepfakes such as these.

Do Not Fall into the ‘Storm’ of AI Generation

Nora Aljazzar and Stephanie Hwang | October 22, 2024
Tight end offensive player, punter and linebacker junior Maxwell Mapstone and linebacker, wide receiver and junior Malachi Moore pursue a Woodbridge High player as he attempts to score a touchdown. “Our strategy was to stop the play action passes and not let the quarterback get out of the pocket because he was pretty fast, and we did a really good job at that,” tight end offensive and defensive player and senior Anthony Riccardi said.

Boys’ Football Conquers Woodbridge High in First League Game

Stephanie Hwang and Marianne Chan | October 15, 2024
Freshman Joyce Huang finishes her swing at the first green, making sure to keep herself in the right mental state. “I would work on fixing my mindset,” Huang said. “I was frustrated on the first few holes, but I had to switch my mindset back. You’re affected by the last few shots when you’re frustrated, but you need to focus on the next few and shoot well.”

Girls’ Golf “Swings” the Odds in Their Favor Against Rosary High

Stephanie Hwang and Claire Liu | October 7, 2024
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
Formula One club founder and junior Keerthana Pillai recaps F1 competitions and their drivers to club members to open up discussions about them amongst one another. “We’re just like reading and yapping about different things,” Pillai said. “I think that's really nice because there aren't as many F1 fans as there are basketball fans or NFL fans, so it's nice to have a space specifically for that sport where we can talk about it with other people who are interested in it.”

The F1 Club is Off to a ‘Roaring’ Start

Nora Aljazzar and Stephanie Hwang | September 24, 2024
Softball poses together after their senior night game, getting ready to eat out together per tradition. “I’m going to miss the people,” outfielder and senior Smira Sonthalia said. “I really love my teammates, and the only reason why I love softball so much is really because of the people that I'm with every day, so I'm really going to miss that team energy and that family. My second family, basically.”

Close-knit Softball Athletes ‘Team’ Together with Friendship

Stephanie Hwang and Mary Lee | May 20, 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
One of senior Yunseo Kwon’s favorite pieces in her portfolio submission is her self portrait because it represents her experience with different art mediums and styles. “It incorporates design elements that I’ve been learning recently and the realistic art I’ve been doing for a long time so combining them to make me felt like my identity is being revealed through my artwork,” Kwon said.

Orange County Register Artist of the Year Semifinalists Senior Yunseo Kwon and Junior Michelle Lu Rise to Success

Marianne Chan and Stephanie Hwang | 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

A Closer Look at How “High School Musical” Came to Fruition

Marianne Chan and Stephanie Hwang | March 22, 2024
Art Fair participants from various clubs and art courses had the opportunity to sell handmade creations to students at stands near the ASB room during lunch from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1. “I feel like it's just a good way to connect with the rest of my peers, the artist community [and] the student body while also giving back to the school because it's given me so many opportunities where I can flourish in the creative arts,” artist and junior Alexander Torpus said.

Students ‘Sew’ Off Their Talent in the Art Fair

Marianne Chan and Stephanie Hwang | February 13, 2024
Junior Bianca Morrell ‘Runs,’ ‘Pitches,’ ‘Shoots’ and ‘Swims’ to New Heights

Junior Bianca Morrell ‘Runs,’ ‘Pitches,’ ‘Shoots’ and ‘Swims’ to New Heights

Stephanie Hwang | February 7, 2024
Senior Raghav Iyer attempts to dislodge his opponent’s arms using his elbow. “I tried for the lighter weights,” Iyer said. “Usually people are quicker on their feet and they try to get low shots in their ankles. So I tried to stay quick on my feet and get good sprawls out.”

Wrestling Looks Forward to Successes After Narrow Loss to Woodbridge High

Marianne Chan and Stephanie Hwang | January 24, 2024
Senior Nithila Francis sings “Warrior” by Demi Lovato. Most of her extracurriculars involve singing, so she wanted to perform an activity that she was the most comfortable with, according to Francis.

Creating a Performance Opportunity: Students Showcase their Skills in the Talent Show

Stephanie Hwang, Assistant News Editor | January 19, 2024
Junior Charles Pan takes a photo with his family in Japan and recharges to expel stress obtained from school. “Winter break is an opportunity for me to make new memories, experience new sights and get myself ready for the new year,” Pan said.

Flying Into the New Year: How These Three Students Started the Year Exploring New Destinations With Family

Stephanie Hwang and Hannah Ko | January 17, 2024
caption

S4 Episode 02: Letters of Recommendation from Teachers’ POVs

Stephanie Hwang and Elise Ngo | January 9, 2024
Three Portola Pilot Alumni ‘Soar’ Through College Using Valuable Pilot Experiences

Three Portola Pilot Alumni ‘Soar’ Through College Using Valuable Pilot Experiences

Stephanie Hwang and Hannah Ko | December 4, 2023
Remaining steadfast in their friendship, seniors Jamie Lin and Ashley Tabayoyong are looking forward to completing their last year stunting together with the same bond they created over ten years ago. “When we started cheering, we actually requested if we could be on the same team just so we were comfortable in a new sport,” Tabayoyong said. “We wanted to have some grounding, something that we could hold on to, something that we knew that was familiar.”

Duo Jamie Lin and Ashley Tabayoyong Bond Through Gymnastics and Cheer

Hannah Ko and Stephanie Hwang | November 27, 2023
The sense of accomplishment that students feel after receiving a ticket pushes them to be better. “The fact that people acknowledge their good deeds and give them credit for it makes students want to be even better in order to receive more attention,” according to junior Madison Lee.

Person of Ticket: Why PRIDE Tickets Should Be Digitized

Stephanie Hwang, Assistant News Editor | November 27, 2023

Daylight Savings Should be a Permanent Fixture

Mary Lee and Stephanie Hwang | November 17, 2023

Innocent Clubs Are Affected By Haphazard Merging

Stephanie Hwang and Marianne Chan | November 6, 2023
With the early registration, students feel pressured by CollegeBoard to spend their money on an exam they may not take.

AP-ush Exams: Early Registration Hurts More Than Helps

Stephanie Hwang, Assistant News Editor | November 3, 2023
In her singles match, freshman Mia Lichtenstein gets ready to serve the ball across the net to win a point and her match overall. Though singles and doubles were strong at the beginning of their matches, the team is always looking to improve, according to interim head coach Maithy Do. “We’re always improving on doubles, closing in at mid, closing the point at net and just movement in general,” Do said.

Girls’ Tennis ‘Serves’ Victory Against Laguna Hills High

Stephanie Hwang | October 2, 2023
These are images of Wang’s draft for the unnamed main character of her game. The character will be able to change forms in order to solve different puzzles.

Portola High Students’ Summer Projects Display Their Coding Passions

Stephanie Hwang, Assistant News Editor | September 26, 2023
HOSA club president and senior Varsha Raju and competitor and senior Joanna Rhim discuss potential test questions and analyze a case study before the forensic science event in Sacramento. Twenty-two out of the 30 members who competed in the regional competition qualified to participate in the State Leadership Conference and eight members qualified for the international level, according to Raju.

HOSA Club Participates in its First Year of In-Person Competitions since the COVID-19 Pandemic

Hannah Ko and Stephanie Hwang | March 30, 2023
Donate to Portola Pilot
$235
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Menu
Activate Search
The student news site of Portola High School
Stephanie Hwang