Be true to yourself – you'll wake up easier tomorrow - Rancho Pico ...

One choice can change your
entire life.
This is the message that Teen
Truth is trying to send out to young adults
across North America.
On Sept. 12, Michael Sarich, a
representative of Teen Truth, came to
our campus to educate the students
about the effects of their choices
involving drugs and alcohol. The
presentation included a 20-minute film
about the consequences of poor choices,
past drug addicts telling about their
experiences, and a frightening 911 call.
Sarich then told of his past life as a drug
addict and his recovery.
For him, this video changed his
life.
“When I saw this video about
five years ago,” he said. “I knew I wanted
to be a part of this. It’s important to me to
educate students about the realities of
drugs and alcohol because I want
everybody to know that they have the
power to make a difference.” said
Michael Sarich.
Though his story was sad, it had
an impact on all of the students.
“It was really scary to know
that’s what would happen if we took
Vol. 6 No. 2
Sept. 28, 2012
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth
Powerful assembly gives students first-hand look at effects of drug abuse
ERICA GILLESPIE
RAYLENE FACTORA
MINJU KANG
“The Back to School Bash
shows the school’s spirit and how the
school is fun,” said Infinity’s Drew
Franson.
Hanging out with friends, and
having the time of your life was the scene
at the annual Back to School Bash. On
Sept. 7, Rancho Pico held an exciting
dance to commemorate a return to
school. The dance was originally
supposed to begin at 4:30 p.m. but
kicked off instead at 3:30 with a DJ,
inflatables, Lamppost pizza, a Kona ice
truck and snacks.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
Photo by
Tori Crews
Michael Sarich of Teen Truth delivers a direct message to Rancho Pico
students about the effects of drug use on one’s life.
drugs,” said seventh grader, Jordan
Salazar. “I didn’t want to do drugs before,
but I really don’t want to do them now.”
“Drugs affect everyone,”
Principal Mrs. Krantz said, “and your
choices affect you.”
Students have a blast at annual Back-to-School Bash
Many Rancho
Pico students
tried to become
the best
“surfer” on
campus during
the ASB-run Back
to School Bash
Sept. 7.

PAGE 2
It’s not rocket science to know
that the science fundraiser this year was
a real success.
In the beginning of the year, the
science department handed out letters to
the families of students at Rancho Pico
asking for donations to fund the student
lab activities. Through the efforts of
students and their families, the science
department has been able to raise
$11,890 to be put toward both seventh
Sept. 28, 2012
Science gets a huge boost with community help
JACQUELINE HOFMANN
DANA FEDELE
MANAGING EDITORS – Morgan Smith, Julia Watler
EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR – Kristen Mancini
NEWS EDITORS – Summer Cantrell, Jacqueline Hofmann
CURRENT EVENTS EDITOR – Jong Hak Won
OPINIONS EDITOR – Riley Villiers-Furze
FEATURES EDITORS – Zera Bosch, Erica Lee
REVIEWS EDITOR – Sarah Castillo
ART EDITORS – Aerin Mellott, Jaclyn Napoli
PHOTO CHIEF – Jadyn Dessalines
SPORTS EDITOR – Caitlin Buckley
TECHNICAL EDITOR – Casey Judge
SENIOR REPORTER – Bradley Nichols
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER – Jessica Myer
SENIOR SPORTS REPORTER – Brevin White
and eighth graders.
“Seventh graders are going to
be supplied with frogs for dissection,
human sized skeletons, owl pellets, and
much more. Eighth graders are going to
be supplied with lab equipment,
electronic scales, many lab materials,
consumables such as chemicals, and
more,” said science department
chairperson Mrs. Spector.
The money that was earned
this year is higher than the amount of
money donated by families last year.
The money raised by seventh grade
Published 14 times
annually by the journalism
students of Rancho Pico
Junior High School,
Stevenson Ranch, California
REPORTERS –Annie Christofferson, Andrew Cho, Raylene
Factora, Dana Fedele, Erica Gillespie, Nicole Hoppes,
Minju Kang, Lauren Lee, Andy Song, Tiffany Wong
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS – Megan Chang, Tori Crews, Carly
Magalski, Ashita Tanwar
STAFF ARTIST – Bryan Wong
SPORTS REPORTERS – Chris Gaff, Sam Morici
COPY EDITOR – Gokul Mohanty
STAFF TECHNICIAN – Garrett Bakoo
families was equal to the money raised
by eighth grade families.
“This outcome was higher than
last year and I was not expecting this
much money,” said Mrs. Spector.
The science department has
been handing out this science donation
letter for years, and will continue to do so
next year.
“We just want to send out a big
thank you to all of the students and
families who donated. We are all very
grateful and highly appreciate all of your
contributions,” said Mrs. Spector.
Library receives donation from feeder elementary
ANDY SONG
LAUREN LEE
“I was very excited and very
thrilled,” said Rancho Pico Librarian, Mrs.
Mellinger.
Rancho Pico is very grateful for
the generous donation that one of four
feeder schools – Oak Hills Elementary
School – has given to us.
Last year, through a fundraiser,
Oak Hills students raised enough money
to not only help their school, but ours as
well. Money was voted to be provided to
the Rancho Pico
library – which was
used to purchase
more books for
Rancho Pico
students to have a
bigger selection.
Both
Principal Mrs.
Krantz and Mrs.
Mellinger were
called in and were given the donation by
an Oak Hills parent. Without knowing,
they were given a generous donation to
support our school.
“I feel great that Oak Hills has
chosen to donate to our library,” said
Mrs. Mellinger.
Now, with books purchased and
an amount of $291, Mrs. Mellinger has
set up a box for students to suggest a
book they wish to be in the library. The
box is currently located on top of the shelf
holding the textbooks.
Thanks to Oak Hills, the Rancho
Pico Library will be that much richer.
Make sure you come in and recommend
a book that you want in our library.
ADVISER – Mr. Adam Bratt, Room 210
abratt@hartdistrict.org
(661) 284-3260 x1210

PAGE 3
If you’re having trouble, there is
hope.
Intervention classes are back for
another year. These classes are a great
way for students who have trouble to
practice their math, writing, science, and
their test strategies. It provides a huge
amount of benefit for those who are
struggling in their subjects. Homework
support is also available.
“Intervention classes enable
students to get a vast amount of extra
help and support. It is a great benefit
toward students in multiple ways,” said
counselor Ms. Ferry.
This year, the city will be
providing a bus on Mondays and
Tuesdays. The bus will depart Rancho
Pico at 4:15 p.m. and will deliver students
to the Santa Clarita Transit Center.
“The new bus schedule allows
students to take intervention classes and
get extra help. Before, students could not
take such classes because they could
not get a ride home,” said Ms. Ferry.
Visit Rancho Pico’s website for
Sept. 28, 2012
Intervention classes begin to assist students
ANDREW CHO
Seventh grade students work diligently
during afterschool homework intervention.
an intervention schedule regarding dates
and times. If you are interested in taking
Photo by
Ashita Tanwar
intervention classes, see your counselor
to sign up.

PAGE 4
Around the nation for years, we
have been trying to eradicate drugs from
our lives.
Now we celebrate a major
victory in the war on drugs with the arrest
of Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, the
drug lord of a very powerful Mexican Gulf
drug cartel.
Costilla, nicknamed “El Coss”
was captured Sept.12 in the city of
Tampico. Costilla has been accused in
the U.S. for illegal drug trafficking and
threatening to harm American law
enforcement officials in 1999. The U.S.
State Department offered a reward of $5
million for information about him. Mexico
placed him on the government’s 37 most
–wanted drug traffickers and offered $2
million for his capture. He was found
when a few marines from the Mexican
military followed armed men in a vehicle
and chased them all the way to Tampico
where Costilla was found. Costilla is
considered to be the boss of Mexico’s
third-most powerful criminal gang. This
arrest was the result of an offensive on
drugs mounted by the Mexican
government headed by its president,
Felipe Calderon.
Up until now, the war on drugs
in Mexico has been relatively
unsuccessful so far in ways of stopping
drug violence and the amount of drugs
that are transported throughout Mexico.
Costilla’s capture deals a heavy blow to
the Gulf drug cartel – one of Mexico’s .
most powerful crime and drug trafficking
organizations.
However, let’s not celebrate too
quickly.
The broader problem is the use
of drugs in America. There are still other
organizations and groups out there that
smuggle drugs to the U.S.
“It is impossible to get rid of
these drug lords, because there’s always
someone to take their place,” said eighth
grade teacher, Mr. Trowell, “You can
Sept. 28, 2012
War on drugs suffers major setback, but…
JONG HAK WON
The arrest of Mexican drug lord Jorge Sanchez was a major victory in the war on drugs.
disrupt their activities, but you can’t stop
them permanently.”
As shown in the recent Teen
Truth presentation (page 1), abusive drug
use is rampant in the U.S. It also shows
the horror of drug abuse and what
lifestyle you will lead in the future once
you open the door to this dark world.
Sadly, many have already opened this
door and have lived in this shadowed
area of the world for a long time. The
people who fall victim to this dark place
deteriorate both mentally and physically
as shown in Teen Truth. Abusing drugs
may seem an exciting path to take, but it
eventually ends in misery. These sad
effects demonstrate the ever-increasing
need to crack down on the marketing and
illegal use of drugs.
“The main problem is
recreational and addictive drugs that are
too easy to get addicted to,” Mr. Trowell
continued, “We have an issue with these
recreational and addictive drugs, so the
U.S needs to clean up its act.”
The toll that the anti-drug
campaign is taking on our country is
staggering. As rampant drug use
Google
continues, more money is sapped out of
the government. In 2010 alone, the U.S.
government spent $15 billion in the war
on drugs – or $500 per second.
Furthermore, people are being
thrown in jail for drug abuse than ever
before. But that’s not all of it. In
California, it takes approximately $47,000
to keep an inmate in jail for one year.
Almost one in five people in state prisons
and half of all inmates in federal prisons
are in there for drug abuse. It’s not just an
economic cost either. A total of 55,000
Mexicans and tens of thousands of
Central Americans have lost their lives as
a result of drug-fueled violence.
Unfortunately, it seems hopeless
as every time a drug lord is taken down,
another one rises up. Every time we cut
off a head, another one grows in its
place. The actual usage of drugs by
Americans is the pressing problem and
one that will be hard to solve.
The war on drugs is a tough
problem that needs to be tackled by the
U.S. government. Hopefully, we’ll be able
to properly address this problem in the
future.
ALWAYS ON THE WEB….GO
TO THE RANCHO PICO
WEBSITE AND CLICK ON
HOOFBEATS ONLINE

PAGE 6
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
This year’s first dance was more
extraordinary than the previous years.
Last year, ASB sold over 530 tickets, but
this year, ASB was tremendously
impressed with the turnout.
“The night was a huge success!”
exclaimed ASB adviser, Mrs. Jolicoeur,
“Rancho Pico sold over 600 tickets this
year…and that many kids showed up to
the dance! ASB worked hard on every
detail of the Back to School Bash to
make sure students enjoyed themselves.
I truly believe they did!”
ASB hosted many fun games,
such as a water balloon toss and a dance
competition, to entertain and accompany
the students.
Rancho Pico’s first dance of the
year ended with grinning students leaving
campus. One event that had students
laughing was the mechanical, interactive
surfing game.
“It [the surfing game] is super
fun,” said Discovery’s Ramon Asuncion,
“It was also hilarious watching others fall
off as well.”
Another was the basketball
relay race, in which two contestants
would shoot hoops while being attached
to a bungee cord. Students were also
Sept. 28, 2012
First dance of the school year attracts huge crowd
Photo by
Ashita Tanwar
interested in the dodge ball bounce
house, in which five participants would be
trapped in with bouncy balls everywhere.
The inflatable slide was attentiongrabbing
as well.
“The dances are fun because
you can meet new people and get to
know them better,” said Explorer Angela
Choi. “I also think that it’s a great way to
Shooting hoops
was another
popular attraction
at the Back to
School Bash.
help support the school and ASB.”
“It is not really a dance per se
rather a large hangout. Students just get
to hang and socialize,” added Mrs.
Jolicoeur, “I think the dance sets a good
impact for the rest of the school year.
Students start the school year off with a
positive attitude and carry it throughout
the year.”

PAGE 7
Sept. 28, 2012
Infinity holds bowling night
bowling. Students were
eating and laughing with
each other and the
teachers.
“It was really fun! I
want to do this again!”
said Taylor Hathaway.
Taylor along with other
Infinity students, were
enjoying the bowling
and spending time with Team Infinity .
On Sept. 14, Infinity students
attended the team’s first activity, bowling
at Santa Clarita Lanes.
All the Infinity teachers, about
30 students and their parents were
–ERICA LEE
Pink Day upcoming Oct. 12
Pink will be the
spirit color Oct. 12 as
ASB is encouraging all
students to wear pink to
observe Breast Cancer
Awareness Month.
Activities are being planned to raise awareness about breast
cancer . Last year, the student body made a human “ribbon” to
commemorate the annual drive.
–STAFF REPORT

PAGE 8
This year, students have been
cooking up a storm in the after school
cooking classes, provided by A.S.E, the
After School Enrichment program.
“So far, we have made dishes
such as pesto past, zucchini muffins, and
pizza,” says seventh grader, Chloe
Sawyer.
In class, Ms. Hayes, the
teacher for the program, demonstrates
how to cook the recipe and teaches
techniques such as slicing tomatoes and
kneading dough.
“I enjoy teaching cooking
because it teaches the skills the students
are going to use in their own home for
their families,” she said.
The students then take their
cookbooks and use the fresh ingredients
provided.
“My favorite dish was the
zucchini muffins,” said Wyland
Heathman.
In the end, the students end up
with great looking and tasting dishes.
They are even healthy, because
everything is from scratch and is fresh.
“I enjoy cooking classes
because I get to eat yummy foods with
my friends,” said Phoebe Melikidse.
Sept. 28, 2012
Afterschool cooking class begins at Rancho Pico
MORGAN SMITH
Photo by
Megan Chang
Students try their hand at making pizza during the afterschool cooking class.
Elective classes begin annual boxtop drive
BRADLEY NICHOLS
Just think.
Every time you eat a box of
cereal or a carton of fruity snacks you
could be benefitting your elective
programs, 10 cents at a time.
A new tradition has been
introduced to Rancho Pico. On the top of
many boxes of cereal and other select
items a little square picture saying,
Boxtop$ can be found. You need to turn
them in to your advisory teacher.
“They benefit our school,” said
Mrs. Levy-Holm. “We get 10 cents for
each boxtop that we collect.”
Last year the donations added
up to $786.60.
The advisory that brings in the
most boxtops wins an ice cream party.
So don’t forget to check your containers,
boxes and bags for those Boxtops. Even
the smallest things can make a huge
difference.

PAGE 9
Since the last issue many
things have changed.
I have found my true writing
voice. Seventh graders have adapted
more to the campus, and I received a
letter of great importance.
This letter was from Gisela
Factora.
Gisela, while congratulating me,
gave me pointers on how to make my
opinions piece the best it could be. One
of the things she said really stuck with
me. Basically it was just to not be
offended if someone crumples up my
article in frustration or comes up and
talks to me personally, because that
means that I wrote something that
actually affected someone. I don’t want
to be mean, but I wouldn’t mind starting
some controversy. I want people to hear
my message whether they like it or not.
Usually, I would like someone other than
Mr. Bratt or our copy editor to read this
before it is released, however for this
issue I want to keep this one a secret
and see what people’s reactions are to
this, because this can get personal in an
indirect way. I can’t wait to see the
reaction to this.
With that said, here I go.
Like I mentioned before, a lot of
things have changed, especially the
seventh graders. Now seventh graders, I
mean this in the best way possible but I
am sure you are not the person you
were last year. Some of you, I have
noticed, have started dressing, talking,
and acting a certain way. I am sure most
Sept. 28, 2012
Be true to yourself – you’ll wake up easier tomorrow
of you know what I am talking about but
in case you don’t, I will tell you any way.
Some girls are wearing short shorts and
a heavy dose of makeup. The boys are
sagging their pants and cussing about
twice every sentence. I know
that right now it seems like
you need to do anything just
to fit in and not be an outcast
but that is not true. In fact it
should be the last thing you
should be worrying about. If
people don’t like you for who
you are, you should not be
friends with them. You need
to find a friend who will be
there for you through thick
and thin and appreciate the
person you truly are. It might
seem hard to find them, but
the world is big, your true
friend is out there, trust me.
And remember one great
friend is better than 100
friends who will stab you in
the back for the chance of a
good piece of gossip.
Don’t worry eighth
graders, I haven’t forgotten
about you. Last year I saw some of my
friends change from the easygoing
people they were into girls clawing their
way up the popularity scale. Eighth
graders – the same advice I gave to the
seventh graders applies to you.
Currently, some of you think you are too
cool for junior high and are anxiously
waiting to go to high school. Just
remember when the time comes to go to
high school you stay true to yourself.
You don’t need to be popular to have a
good time. Believe me – I am very, very
low on the popularity scale, and I have
made amazing memories here at
Rancho Pico with my friends that I will
have a hard time forgetting.
The classic problem of
conformity eats away the insides of
almost every person our age. It makes
us feel insecure and unsure about how
our bodies look. You don’t need to dress
a certain way to look pretty. If you wear
short shorts and heavy makeup or sag
people judge you for the way you look
without even getting to know you. I know
that sounds horrible and it is, but it’s true.
The sad fact is that the way you dress
and act gives people a certain image of
you. I know that I wouldn’t want people
to think of me of a girl who would do
anything for a chance of popularity, but
the real question is – do you?
Wearing the short shorts and
saggy pants might make you feel pretty
and special and wanted. You don’t want
to be “black and white” in a world
bursting with color. I understand; truly I
do, but you can’t let the fear of what
other people will say run your life. Be
and love yourself for who you are.
I really don’t like people who
think they have to be someone else to
be likeable. Some of these people are
very nice; I would like them so much
more if they were just themselves and
not a figment of what they think they
need to be. Remember that the swag
you think you need to be popular only is
useful for this period of time. Do you
think swag will pay your college tuition?
Buy you a house when you get older?
Really what I want to get across
is for you to just be you.
Maybe you will read this, take
heart and not fold it into origami. It might
give you a different perspective on how
you are living your life. You should be
happy with who you are and not insecure
about how you look. Throughout your
life, people are going to undermine you
and try to make you feel small. It is sad
but true. You already have people who
are going to do it to you so why should
you do it to yourself. When all your
actions are made to fit in you start
undermining yourself. You shouldn’t do
that. It feels horrible; trust me I’ve been
through it. Everyone at this school is
beautiful in his or her own way. You just
need to find your unique quality and let
in shine.
Be yourself and be proud of
who you are. People are going to like
you so much more.
Believe me.
Do YOU have an opinion
about this column?
E-­‐mail us at
rphoofbeats@hart.k12.ca.us
and your rebuttal could appear
in the next issue of Hoofbeats.
Keep your opinion to the point
and avoid personal attacks.
We invite your commentary.

PAGE 10
PLOT : A+
ORIGINALITY: A+
OVERALL GRADE: A+
As high school looms, sometimes friendships, classes, and
other activities will become more challenging.
Don’t worry.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is a great step-bystep
guide that leads teenagers on the right track to success. This
book explains the seven habits that deal with helping teens make
the right decisions, even if they may be challenging, and talks about
various tips and tricks to achieve these goals. The book even
suggests some great ways to get along with others – friends,
parents, and classmates. The book addresses common problems
today faced by teens – peer pressure, drugs and other negative
influences. If you’ve tripped up, even if it’s a small mistake, it’s
never too late – this book will assist you in getting back on the
right track.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is outstanding. Not only is it written well, but
you can easily relate to the issues presented by the author, and how to properly deal with
them. I loved the quotes the author includes often on pages and the simple cartoons and
images that really catch the eye and entertain you to the point that you want to keep on
reading. The seven habits are easy to learn and remember, plus they can be applied in
at least one encounter every day. I really enjoyed the true experiences shared by
students just like us, and how these habits helped them and possibly turned their life
around. In addition, all the strategies presented are amazing, and using them now has made
resolving arguments or making the best of a situation much easier.
I would recommend this to every student, because not one individual will turn the last
page without learning at least one new valuable habit.
– SARAH CASTILLO
Sept. 28, 2012
Switched at Birth aired its fall
premiere on September 3, 2012.
Switched at Birth is about two
teenage girls, Daphne Vasquez and Bay
Kennish, being switched at birth. The
two girls were raised in different places
and sustained different lifestyles.
Daphne’s mother, Regina, struggled to
make an income and pay for Daphne’s
deaf facilities. While Bay lived a lavish
lifestyle, getting whatever she wanted
from her stay-at-home mom, Kathryn
and her former professional baseball
player father, John. The two families
have a difficult time adjusting with the
situation and decide to live together, so
that the parents are able to interact and
know their daughters. The two families
have many ups and downs in their new
life, but continue to take it day by day.
I strongly encourage the
students of Rancho Pico to watch this
show because of the plot and
characters. The show keeps the
audience’s excitement and anticipation
going. Not one episode will make you
want to stop watching, the show will
make you continue watching because of
the twists and turns it provides. The
actors do a perfect job of playing their
roles and personalities. You feel like
you’re watching a documentary instead
of watching a drama series. In addition,
Switched at Birth has filmed some of
their gym scenes in our very own gym
here at Rancho Pico.
Be sure to watch Switched at
Birth on Mondays on ABC Family.

PAGE 11
Sept. 28, 2012

PAGE 12
Sept. 28, 2012

PAGE 13
Sept. 28, 2012

PAGE 14
Even the teachers have their
own club on campus.
Quest math teacher, Mrs. Allen,
has been doing a Teacher Fitness
competition called the Fit Club for the
past five years. Teachers all around
campus are encouraged to lose weight to
be healthier and have a more effective
way of teaching.
“I worked on losing my weight
and then I felt so much better and was a
more effective teacher, more energy and
felt better about myself that I thought, it’s
better to pair up with people, that way I
could keep my weight off and I could also
help them start to lose weight,” said Mrs.
Allen.
When the teachers start, they
put in $20. In the end, the teacher who
loses the most weight gets the majority of
the money. Ways that teachers can lose
Sept. 28, 2012
Some teachers satisfied to become big ‘losers’
SUMMER CANTRELL
MINJU KANG
weight would be exercising and changing
the way they see food.
“I really encourage not dieting,”
said Mrs. Allen.
Exercising can reduce the risk
of dying prematurely, can prevent
diabetes, allow a happier mood,
decrease the chance of cancer, and
many more.
Last year’s winner was Quest
science teacher, Ms. Spector.
“When I came back to work and
I stopped going to the gym, I couldn’t wait
for fit club again. And sure enough, Mrs.
Allen headed it all up and so I’m back in
and I just want to feel healthy. It’s fun to
do it with a group of people at work and
we all support each other,” she said.
Not only has Mrs. Spector won
the school’s fit club, but Mr. Gately was
once the school’s representative in the
district’s Biggest Loser contest.
How did he do it?
“Eat less. Eat
better. Exercise. I found that I was
eating too much ice cream and fries and
chips, so I decided to eat less of those
foods, or cut them out entirely,” said Mr.
Gately. “ I added more healthy choices to
my diet, like salads and fruit. Then I
started bicycling and hiking
regularly. This helps a lot.”
So be prepared to see less of
some of your teachers very soon.

PAGE 15
GRAPHICS: A
GAME PLAY: B
CHANGES: D
OVERALL: C
Sept. 28, 2012
Does it live up to the hype?
In a word….no.
Madden 13 is the 11 th game in
the popular NFL video game franchise
geared toward making the most realistic
football video game experience.
You can play as your favorite
teams against friends or people across
the globe with Online Mode. One of the
newer modes is the Connected Careers
Mode, in which you can play as a
manager or a player seeking fame. If
you choose to be a manager, then you
strictly make decisions from the
sidelines. One of the things players are
outraged about is the fact there is no
Franchise Mode in which players could
create teams through fantasy draft and
play. But a new improvement is the
graphics. A new Infinity Engine was
added to make the game play more
realistic by using physics. Players no
longer morph together and every tackle
is different.
Despite the wait, this game isn’t
worth it. Missing the Franchise Mode
makes this game less desirable to the
average gamer, thus making it
interesting only to extreme Madden fans.
Hopefully, next year’s version
will be better.
–CAITLIN BUCKLEY
SAM MORICI

PAGE 16
Sept. 28, 2012