We checked in to see what former Horizon editors-in-chief over the past 10 years remember most about their time at LHS and also on what they are up to now. Here is what Seth Moreida (LHS ’14) had to say:

Q: What’s your favorite Horizon memory?

A: I have two favorite Horizon memories, the first of which was my first meeting as editor-in-chief. I had never been the leader of such a large student body before, and I was exhilarated to have the opportunity to meet and bring about the best in those who attended. I recognized that this meeting represented the start of something very special, something that would become my predominant commitment over the next year and that would challenge me and help to shape me into the person that I am today. I will never forget the mixture of nervousness, enthusiasm, and utter pride that I felt as I led that first meeting, and in doing so, began to form relationships with loyal and hardworking members of Horizon. My second favorite Horizon memory was when Horizon won a multitude of awards at the Empire State Scholastic Press Association Awards Ceremony. At the ceremony, news stories that I had written won both silver and bronze awards, and even more importantly, Horizon won a silver award for “Best All-Around Publication.” This was rewarding for me on a personal level and served as evidence that my hard work and the hard work of the entire Horizon staff were paying dividends. Receiving such positive recognition gave me the confidence to become more creative and experiment with new visual formats and article topics.

Q: Deadlines. Reaction?

A: Help! There are two more days until the publication deadline, and I am still missing two news articles and one features article and the first page layout is too messy and the pictures on pages 4, 5, and 6 are too blurry, and the bylines are being cutoff, and there are still two advertisements that need to be sent to us! My first issue of Horizon was published nearly a full three weeks after the initial deadline that I had set for its publication date, but I assumed that that was only because it was my first issue and that deadlines would be met more stringently for the remainder of the year. In truth, however, despite the hard work and best intentions of myself and my entire staff, this was not always case. Nevertheless, deadlines are absolutely vital to a newspaper and must be made with the intention of sticking to them. The fact that I made deadlines helped to keep the entire staff motivated and kept the energy high throughout all the stages of the publishing process. Deadlines are simultaneously an editor-in-chief’s worst enemy and best friend.

Q: What college did you attend? What was your major?

A: I just graduated in December from Tufts University, which is located 20 minutes outside of Boston. I double-majored in international relations and political science and minored in economics.

Q: What are you doing now?
A: I am currently living and working in Israel. While I live in Tel Aviv, I will be interning in the Knesset (Israel’s Parliament) for the Likud Party, the largest political party in Israel and the party for which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a member. More specifically, I will be interning directly under Eli Hazan, the director of foreign affairs for the Likud Party. I will be engaging in Israel’s political system by helping Hazan write speeches on topics as sensitive as the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Israel’s relationships with its Arab neighbors, and the threat that terrorism poses to the safety of Israeli citizens and the stability of the country overall.

Q: What do you remember most about LHS?

A: My Horizon memories are, without competition, my most memorable high school experiences. While I took many fascinating and challenging courses throughout high school that exposed me to topics that I pursued in college and held multiple positions on the Student Government Association (SGA), the long afternoons I spent in the Horizon office working with my fellow editors are so prevalent in my memory that it feels as though they just occurred yesterday (in reality, I graduated in 2014). I remember having more than 15 people crammed into the office at once and feeling the upmost pride as I watched my editors working together and eagerly and excitedly displaying their work and progress for me to see. For the four years I spent at LHS, Thursdays were “Horizon Days.”  Even now, there are few Thursdays when Horizon does not enter my conscious thoughts at least once. Working for Horizon, and by extension, attending LHS, truly was a transformative experience that prepared me well for college and gave me the confidence I required to accomplish much as a student at Tufts University.

Q: If you could go back and talk to your high school self, what would you say?

A: I would tell myself to worry less. At that time in my life, I liked to plan far in advance and worried about things that were far in the future. However, I have learned the bittersweet truth that the future is utterly unpredictable and that it is oftentimes impossible for me to know what is in store for me next week, let alone next year. The very fact that I was able to graduate a semester early and am currently in Tel Aviv instead of Boston demonstrates this fact.