Eli Heringman (senior) is a Media Arts & Culture (MAC) and Japanese Studies double major, born and raised in Columbia, Missouri. Eli has been writing for The Occidental since he was a first year, and previously edited the Arts & Culture section. He is editor-in-chief for the Fall 2026 semester. Eli was the publication intern for the International Documentary Association Summer 2026 and intends to pursue documentary journalism after graduation.

Ben Petteruti (senior) is a History major with a minor in Interdisciplinary Writing, hailing from Needham, Massachusetts. Ben has been working at the paper since the spring of his first year as a writer and occasional photographer. He also writes a bi-weekly national sports column with fellow editor Mac Ribner. Since working as a Sports section editor last year, Ben has been promoted to Managing Editor for Fall 2026. This summer, Ben interned for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League as their Team Writer. He hopes to start a career in sports journalism after graduation.

Barbara Thomas has been The Occidental staff advisor since September 2016. A career journalist, she spent 24 years at the Los Angeles Times where she held many roles, including reporter, copy editor and Executive News Editor. Previously she was a reporter in Gary, Ind. She was part of two Pulitzer Prize teams for Spot News reporting at the LA Times. Thomas has an M.A. in journalism from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., and B.A. in English from University of Pittsburgh.

Cole Banks (senior) is a Comparative studies in Literature and Culture Major from Missoula, MT. They work as an Arts and Culture Section Editor at The Occidental. Outside of school they are known as Jeitoso when playing capoeira. They also enjoy writing poetry, reading novels, and playing various instruments.

Lucinda Toft (senior) is a Politics major from Chicago, IL. She works as an Arts and Culture Section Editor at The Occidental and is a member of the Cross Country and Track & Field teams. In her free time she loves trying new restaurants with friends and family, listening to new music, reading novels and watching Chicago sports teams.

Mac Ribner (senior) is a Philosophy major from Boston, Massachusetts. He currently works as a News Editor at The Occidental, and co-writes the paper’s sports column with Ben Petteruti. In his free time, he enjoys reading books, watching anime and fruitlessly supporting the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Edgar Zatarain (senior) is a Philosophy major from Vista, California. He currently works as a News Editor at The Occidental. In his free time, he loves to play chess, listen to the birds, and hang out with his cats.

Samhita Krishnan (sophomore) is a Politics major from Palo Alto, California, and currently serves as the community news editor at The Occidental. She covers neighborhood council meetings in Northeast Los Angeles as a Documenter, and previously interned at the Palo Alto Weekly. She is drawn to investigative reporting that uses public records and data to trace how city decisions land in the neighborhoods they affect.

Isabella Shotwell (senior) is an English major from South Pasadena, California. She currently works as an Opinions Editor and this will be her fourth year at the newspaper. She also enjoys dancing, reading novels, and drinking overpriced iced coffee.

Jameela Bowo (senior) is a Psychology major from San Francisco. Jameela has been working at the paper since her first semester at Occidental and is currently an editor for the Opinions section. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach and watching rom-coms.

Miriam Arenal (junior) is an English major from Sacramento, CA. She works as a Sports Editor at The Occidental and is the president of the volleyball club. When not working, she draws, reads novels, dances and explores the city with her friends.

Angus Parkhill (senior) is a Critical Theory and Social Justice major from Brooklyn, New York. He is currently a Sports Editor at The Occidental. You can find him playing baseball, going out with friends, and spending time with his cats.

Levi Lee (senior) is a double major in Critical Theory & Social Justice and Japanese Studies with a minor in Linguistics from Hong Kong. He currently works as a media editor for The Occidental. They previously worked as a writer and illustrator at the paper. In his free time he cosplays and crafts armour.

Anthony Cordova (second year) is a Biology major on the Pre-medicine track from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He currently works as a media editor and photographer for The Occidental.

Diana Trutia (senior) is a Diplomacy & World Affairs and Media Arts & Culture major from Richmond, VA. She works as the Associate Editor at The Occidental and leads the newspaper’s collaboration to cover neighborhood council meetings with LA Documenters. In her free time, she loves to do calligraphy, make films, and try new restaurants.

Magdalene Selin-Williams (junior) is a Sociology major from Washington, D.C. She has worked as The Occidental’s Business Manager since last year. In her free time, she enjoys playing rugby, making collages, and taking road trips.

Kate Netzer (senior) is a Media, Arts, and Culture and Comparative Studies in Literature and Culture double major. She is the Senior Web Designer for The Occidental. Kate enjoys sudokus, sunsets, and sweet tea.