About Us 2025-2026
Mission Statement:
The Coat of Arms is an independent, student-led open forum for student expression. All decisions relating to the management and content of The Coat of Arms are fundamentally the responsibility of students. Coat of Arms reporters strive to acknowledge their internal biases and tell meaningful stories with empathy, fairness and journalistic integrity. The Coat of Arms staff is committed to building on the legacy of past staffs while setting the foundation for future members.
About Us
We at The Coat of Arms aim to inform and to connect. We strive for professionalism, adhere to AP style guidelines and the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics and work to provide neutral reporting while respecting all members of the Menlo School community. Our goal is to represent each distinct perspective from both the school community and the wider public. The Coat of Arms is constantly evolving to suit the realities of the ever-changing world, and we prioritize reporting that is relevant and meaningful to our readers and to the communities we serve.
We seek to provide our staff members with abundant opportunities to explore the field of journalism by advancing their communication and people skills, trying out different story media and leaning into stories that stretch their comfort zones. The Coat of Arms leadership continuously works to foster a cooperative, supportive and trusting dynamic between staff and editors.
The Coat of Arms Staff
Editor in Chief: Asher Darling
Print Editor: Caroline Clack
Online Editor: Malia Chen
Opinions Editor: Sienna Lew
News Editor: Elaina Huang
A&L Editor: Savannah Smith
Sports Editor: Noah Levin
Spread Editor: Anya Ramani
Director of Social Media & Digital Growth: Eleanor Kinder
Creative Director: Claire Dickman
Director of Marketing & Community Engagement: Bianca Putanec
Head Copy Editor: Aaron Widjaja
Video Editor: Julia Livingston
Photo Editor: Evan Grant
Copy Editor: Asher Beck
Assistant Online Editor: Autumn Chambers
Assistant News Editors: William Gardner, Lauren Giesselman
Assistant Opinions Editors: Lila Ozdemir, James Park
Assistant A&L Editors: Shaan Parikh, Penny Diehl
Assistant Sports Editors: Deven Dholakia, Spencer Toland
Assistant Spread Editor: Mandy Zhang
Assistant Social Media Directors: Zoe Hayes, Lisa Huhs
Assistant Creative Director: Baelyn Batory
Assistant Video Editor: Tristan Chen
Staff Writers: Geoffrey Franc, Sonia Dholakia, Alyssa McAdams, Jacob Reich, Devon Schaefer, Amelie Giomi, Amber More, Miki Kimura, Rafe Weiden, Sadie Evans, Kai Chung, Payton Lee, Ayomide Falasinnu
Adviser: Miles Bennett-Smith
Contact us:
The Coat of Arms
Letters & comments to the editor: asher.darling@menloschool.org
Website feedback: malia.chen@menloschool.org
Menlo School
50 Valparaiso Avenue
Atherton, CA 94027
Tel: 650-330-2001