About Us 2023-2024

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

Co-Editors in Chief: Sonia Dholakia and Geoffrey Franc
Print Editor: Alyssa McAdams
Online Editor: Jacob Reich
News Editor: Asher Darling
Opinions Editor: Sienna Lew
A&L Editor: Caroline Clack
Sports Editor: Devon Schaefer
Spread Editor: Amelie Giomi
Social Media & Marketing Director: Eleanor Kinder
Creative Director: Amber More
Head Copy Editor: Miki Kimura
Copy Editor: Aaron Widjaja
Video Editor: Julia Livingston
Assistant News Editor: Anya Ramani
Assistant A&L Editor: Savannah Smith
Assistant Sports Editors: Noah Levin, Bianca Putanec
Assistant Social Media & Marketing Director: Malia Chen
Assistant Opinions Editor: Elaina Huang

Staff Writers: Tatum Herrin, Andrea Li, Lizzie Freehill, Claude Kinglsey-Williams, Maren Mulloy, Anya Khan, David Lipeles, Cindy Olguin, Rafe Weiden, William Gardner, Laila Young, Richa Patnam, Riko Karachiwala, Liam Thai, Alexander Olariu

Adviser: Miles Bennett-Smith

Contact us:

The Coat of Arms
Letters & comments to the editor: [email protected] & [email protected]
Website feedback: [email protected]

Menlo School
50 Valparaiso Avenue
Atherton, CA 94027
Tel: 650-330-2001