August '25

Girls Tennis

By Sunny Pelton

8-22-25

The Monterey High School girls tennis team kicked off its new season last Wednesday, holding practices every weekday from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the Monterey Tennis Center. 

With both returning players and new faces joining the team, the energy on the courts is high as the girls prepare for a competitive and fun-filled season. The practices are intended to build both skill and team spirit, with coaches working diligently with students of all experience levels. 

The team is far larger than previous years, with many players who have never played before. As a result, instructors have been reteaching the fundamentals, providing new athletes with solid foundational skills, and refreshing returning players abilities. 

Sophomore Sierra Hord, who joined the team for the first time this year, shared her excitement about being part of the sport: “I plan on doing it for the next 2 years, it is a fun sport and supportive community and coaches.” Hord’s enthusiasm shows the welcoming nature of the team. 

Returning player Malaz Ahmed, a junior who played last year, also expressed her positive experience on the team throughout the last two years: “It’s fun and I like doing it.” 

Ella Nicolas, a new senior to our school, has also joined tennis this year and has been enjoying it. She stated, “I might play recreationally, not professionally or in college… I really love the team.” It's encouraging to see that so many students are considering continuing with the sport. 

With students like Hord, Ahmed, and Nicolas helping to build a joyful and supportive team, the future looks bright for the Monterey High Schools girls tennis season this year. 

New teachers at Monterey High

By Evelyn Escamilla

8-22-25

As a new school year begins at Monterey High, not only freshmen are the new faces on campus. Several new staff are ready to become part of MHS’s diverse community. This year, Monterey High School has welcomed several new teachers on campus, including Mr. Balleweg, Mr. Alkhawley, Mr. Keller, Ms. Sharbach, Mr. Reza, Ms. Shelton, and Ms. Garcia.  

Mr. Balleweg, who teaches English, comes all the way from Temecula, CA. He said, “I am most excited about joining the Monterey High School community. Not only am I new to teaching at the school, but I am brand new to the city of Monterey as well.” 

Mr. Balleweg likes to play tennis, watch sports, water skiing, hiking, and finding the best matcha in Monterey. He stated, “I chose Monterey High because it seemed like a supportive environment while I began my teaching career and a great community to be involved in.”

  We also have Mr. Reza who teaches world history  and US history, and who is also J.V head football coach. He comes from a central valley town named Turlock. He said, “I played football and baseball all throughout high school and received the opportunity to play college football at a small school in Oregon for one year. After my football career ended I picked up a new hobby that I have gained a tremendous passion for: coaching.” He is now entering his 8th year of coaching high school football this year at Monterey high as the Head JV Coach.

Alongside football he was involved in baseball and basketball he enjoys fishing, camping and even spending time out of the country. He stated that he had always loved Monterey Bay, and said, “I knew I always wanted to make my way over to Monterey to call home. So, when a job posting about an available history teaching position here at Monterey High I had to jump on it. After a great interview I was extremely fortunate to have our wonderful administration and district office offer me the job! What I am most excited for this school year is enjoying every second getting to know staff and students as best as I can. Monterey High has an incredible community with an amazing culture and I am so fortunate to be a part of it.”

Lets meet Mr. Keller, who teaches Robotics and Computer Science. He just received his Bachelor's degree in Spring of 2024 at CSUMB and was thinking of getting into teaching. He had a good relationship with Mr. Coyne, who sadly passed away last year. Keller filled the role of teaching Robotics here last semester. His favorite subject in high school was robotics he now is the mentor for the same robotics team he participated in when he came to Monterey High. He said, “The DP Computer Science course I'm teaching is brand new to the district. I get to make all of it from scratch for my students and that's a very exciting thing for me.” 

Whether it's in the halls, on the field, or in a classroom, make sure to stop and say hello to make the new teachers feel welcomed into the MHS community. Get to know them better and find out all the amazing things you might have in common with these amazing teachers. 

Car Week Traffic Causing Major Heat for Locals

By Norya Arsala

8-19-25

As Car Week rolled into Monterey County, many locals were frustrated by the amount of traffic that had affected their daily routine. Hosted from August 8 to 17, Car Week attracted thousands of tourists, luxury supercars, and numerous events, including the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Exotics on Broadway.

Although the event boosted businesses and tourism in Monterey County, it also caused problems like traffic on Highway 1. Ten-minute routes turned into thirty-minute routes. 

Rahmah Hamid co/2026, who lives near Highway 1, shared her frustration: “The traffic gets really annoying and it questions my patience.”

 For many locals including Hamid, the traffic meant alternative routes and lots of disruption.

Shazia Arsala, a junior in college  who drives on Highway 1 every  day, explained: “Though I hate traffic it is tolerable since car week happens only once a year.” 

Selsela Arsala, a senior in college who works in Pacific Grove, said, “I had to leave an hour earlier than I always do.” 

The local police department advised drivers to consider going on an alternative route, but with the visitors in Monterey, it was hard to manage since it is a small city. 

Despite the inconvenience, many of the residents recognized the importance of Car Week to Monterey’s economy, but also hoped for improvements in traffic management for the future.

AI Awareness: The future of AI, Risk and Responsibility

By Michael Daoud

8-18-25

On Monday in Monterey, California, high school students from Monterey High School participated in a public interview to discuss the responsible use of artificial intelligence and address its potential risks, showing the ongoing debate about AI's increasing capabilities and occasional mistakes. 

It was clear as AI expands in schools around the world. The people must understand AI’s advantages and its limits. People said the goal was not to fear AI but to have clear guidance on navigating a future where intelligent machines are increasingly present. 

Junior Ryan Benson ,a high school student who attended the interview, spoke in response “It has gotten smarter and more capable, but it still makes some mistakes,” he said, creating agreement from fellow attendees. 

Deciding whether to continue advancing AI depends on balancing its potential benefits with the associated risks. Yes, but people should know how to use AI and use it responsibly.” He added an important note about jobs: “AI will not take people's jobs for a while until AI gets better and stronger.” 

Junior Joel Gracia, also a student at the high school, offered his perspective from a slightly different angle: “AI is useful but relying on it will make you not smart,” he warned. 

This is shown all around the world. If humans heavily rely on AI they might not think or work as hard since AI can do it for them “AI should keep getting advanced because we can get more and better technology.” 

However on employment, he offered a delicate view: “It already has taken jobs but I 

believe that it will create other jobs than the ones it has already taken.” 

The interview also drew voices from outside the interview questions Joel Garcia restated “As AI tools become more advanced in decision-making we should find ways to interpret how these systems reach their conclusions.” 

Joel Garcia also said, “Automation and smarter analysis can reduce repetitive tasks and help with bigger tasks.” Ryan Benson then stated "If we pair AI with responsible use, we can protect people while having efficiency and new kinds of jobs.,” 

This heartfelt discussion shows that there is hope for AI to become completely risk free, but the people must take reflective measures. Ultimately, AI is good but it has many flaws. 

The public needs to teach students both how AI works and how to spot misinformation, and also for privacy safety while on these artificial intelligent websites. AI can be a friend rather than a threat. AI awareness isn’t just for tech schools, it's a daily conversation about how we can work, learn, and understand AI.

Club Rush

By Alisha Yanez

8-13-25

On Wednesday, August 13, excited teachers, students, and staff were all welcomed into the new year's Club Rush on the fire road of Monterey High School. This year's Club Rush confidently allowed students to be introduced to new and old extracurricular activities, with many tables passing out flyers, candy, and sign-ups. 

Areas around the fire road and COS were filled with many cheerfully loud students, colorful posters, and decorated tables, with the sun slightly poking through the overcast and a light breeze flowing through the crowds.

Beats and Bites club president Anthony Cabrera (‘27) described this year's club rush as “fun and engaging.” Club leaders like Cabrera noticed how this event allowed for more student interaction.

This year, the robotics club caught Cabrera's attention due to the many props they had displayed on their table. “It was very nice seeing old clubs improve this year.”

While Cabrera was drawn to the Robotics Club and the many props on display, other students like Kiara Lopez (‘27) were drawn to clubs like Beats and Bites along with the eye-catching candy and vinyls laid out. 

Lopez is looking forward to joining the Beats and Bites club for the “friends and delicious food,” while Cabrera is excited to join the Critical Issues Forum for his college applications.

Besides Lopez, Jenna Saravia (‘27) is most excited to join the thrift club because she enjoys fashion. Alongside the thrift club, the class of 2027 caught Saravia’s attention. “That's my class and they also seemed pretty excited.”  

Saravia also desired to have more time at each stand to “Talk more to the people who are representing the club.” 

Besides the room for potential growth, Saravia really enjoyed the colors and decorations put into each table. “You can see all the effort put into their stands.”

This year's club rush has undeniably stood out and has shown that every student in Monterey High has a place where they belong whether they enjoy music, food, debate, or anything else. These clubs not only help further the new school year, but also grow the community and allow everyone to branch out. 

Girls Varsity Volleyball

By Sofia Custodio 

8-8-25

Excitement and anticipation filled the Monterey High School gymnasium this week as many student-athletes showed up for the girls volleyball tryouts for the 2025 fall season. The three day tryout event, held after school from Friday to the following week, ending on Tuesday, saw a record turnout of over 60-80 girls, all eager to earn a spot on the freshman JV or varsity teams.

Head Coach Ellie Mitchell, now entering her sixth season with the Toreadores, said the energy in the gym was amazing. "We’re seeing more talent and potential than ever before. The competition is fierce this year, and that’s exactly what we love to see."

The tryouts tested players on a range of skills including serving, setting, hitting, passing, and in game decision making. Returning varsity players helped lead warm ups and drills, offering guidance to younger students hoping to make their mark.

For many, this week was more than just a chance to make the team,it was a chance to become part of a close knit community. “I’m really nervous, but I’ve been practicing all summer,” said Tessa Dacquisto (26’), “I just want to be part of something bigger and represent our school.” Said Asia Fulp (26’)

The final team rosters are expected to be posted on Tuesday after tryouts . The varsity team will begin preseason training next week in preparation for their first match on August 25th against Salinas High.

Last year, our Lady Dores worked very hard to achieve winning the Missions league and potentially moving up to Gabilan. But turns out they are staying in Missions trying to compete for the top spot again so maybe in fall 2026, they have to chance to play at the top level in the county 

With a promising group of returning players and a wave of new talent, the Toreadors are aiming high this season and the journey has officially begun.