Coming full circle: Paul Seaver tapped by Wellesley High as boys basketball coach
Wellesley High School has hired Paul Seaver as its boys varsity basketball coach, and if the name rings a bell, that may be because his late father served on the Raiders’ coaching staff during an emotional 2010-2011 season. Paul “Wally” Seaver, the Raiders’ JV coach, was diagnosed with ALS (aka, Lou Gehrig’s Disease) in February of 2011 and died two years later at the age of 53.
The elder Seaver left a mark on Wellesley that has lasted for more than a decade, and now his son will have a chance to make his impact on the basketball program and wider community.
Like his dad, Paul coached boys basketball at Milford High, a school which they both attended and where both played hoops. The younger Seaver coached there for 9 seasons (the COVID year was in there), steering the Scarlet Hawks to a league title and into the playoffs most of the years he was there.
When word got out that Wellesley High boys varsity basketball coach Mike Reidy had stepped down at the end of this past season, Seaver kept an eye on the situation, then applied for the job. He interviewed in June and was recently hired, as he announced on social media.
“A lot has come full circle over the past year plus, especially in regard to my full-time career with The ALS Association and now in taking over the boys’ program at WHS,” wrote Seaver. He manages community engagement and events for the non-profit ALS Association, which leads the way in supporting ALS research and those living with the disease.
In a follow-up interview, Seaver and I initially shared some Milford memories (I grew up there, too), then moved on to Wellesley basketball.
Seaver has been coaching since he was just 19 years old, starting while in college, and at the age of 35 now is relatively young among his peers.
“Young and experienced,” said Seaver, who last season coached the boys’ varsity for Scituate High School in Rhode Island. “I’ve been fortunate enough to grow and learn and see a lot of different styles from those I’ve coached against and with.”
![Paul Seaver](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/18152626/IMG_4594-300x264.jpeg)
During his years of coaching, Seaver’s teams have only faced Wellesley once, though he is familiar with the program through his father’s time here, and because Wellesley High takes part in an annual February break tournament hosted in Milford. Glen Magpiong, the Wellesley High boys’ varsity coach when Wally Seaver coached here, has stayed in touch with the Seaver family (Magpiong now coaches the WHS girls’ varsity team.)
Seaver says Wellesley basketball has a great culture, so he is looking forward to continuing that. His biggest focus, coaching-wise, is on defense, but he vows to have this team ready to execute on offense as well. “Every team is different. There are certain things I can’t teach, as there are certain advantages or skills one group might have or not. As a coach you want to adapt and put your kids in the best position to succeed, and to play to their strengths.” Seaver’s dad’s motto while Franklin High’s coach was “Team First,” and Wellesley’s new coach says “getting everyone to buy into a team-first mentality” is important to him.
He’s had a chance to say hello to a few players, but things won’t really get going for the winter sport until students start returning to school. The schedule has been finalized, and Seaver will be putting his staff together in the weeks to come. The team is coming off of an 8-12 season.
Up next for Seaver will be supporting the 13th Annual “Wally” Seaver High School Invitational on July 27-28 in Foxborough and Stoughton, as 120-plus teams compete at the ALS fundraiser and awareness event.
More: Deland, Gibson’s Wellesley Athlete of the Week profiles
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Congrats to state champion Wellesley High girls tennis team
Wellesley High School’s girls tennis team won the Division 1 State Championship on Saturday with a 4-1 win over #1 seed Boston Latin at the duPont courts at MIT.
Congratulations Girls Tennis State Champions! pic.twitter.com/C91wWUM96o
— Wellesley Raiders (@wellesleysports) June 15, 2024
If you noticed a police escort going through the streets of Wellesley on Saturday, that’s what the excitement was all about.
The Raiders only lost 1 match all season and were the #4 ranked team in the tournament. Boasting a young line-up the team rose to the challenge and head into next season with a ton of confidence. Freshmen Bella Gopen and Kimmy Tai won their singles matches, as did junior Sarah Mackey. Mia Chung and Sari Hart earned Wellesley another point with a doubles victory.
Wellesley last won the state title in 2016.
More from the Metrowest Daily News, Boston Herald and Boston Globe (subscriptions may be required to access).
Wellesley High graduation Faculty Speech: ‘I am scared of robots’
The 2024 Wellesley High School graduation Faculty Speech, delivered by Dr. Stephanie Cacace, social studies teacher.
![Drew Kelton Stephanie Cacase](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10211111/Drew-Kelton-Stephanie-Cacase-750x1000.jpg)
To Dr. Lussier, Dr. Chisum, Mr. Kelton, Ms. Matloff, and Mr. Shattuck
To members of the school committee…
To the faculty of Wellesley High School….
To the friends and family of our graduates…
And most importantly, to the graduates, the class of 2024, thank you for inviting me to speak to you this afternoon….
Franklin Roosevelt once said that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. But there is something else that we have to fear and that is robots.
I am scared of robots.
Wall-E, Baymax, Vicky from that 80s show Small Wonder. Hell even a roomba scares me–I mean what kind of monster spends all day vacuuming?
What scares me is their inexhaustibility. Their capacity to persist in one singular task endlessly. Do a rote act over and over without fault, complaint, or ailment. Humans don’t have that kind of steadfastness. We are a species of slackers, giving up when things get too routine, too mundane, too boring.
So when the robots start to multiply, mobilize, and plan their domination over us we appear to be screwed. And like some luddite Paul Revere, I am here to warn you that the robots are coming! The robots are coming!
And now that you are a high school graduate they are coming for you.
They are coming for your job. Automation threatens virtually all professions. Robots can do everything from give manicures to assist in military operations.
They are coming for your art. AI can write short stories, generate artistic images, and even compose songs.
They are coming for our relationships. You can now date avatars or exchange romantic texts with a chat bot.
So you better get ready. Bot battle is about to go down.
But here’s the thing. Maybe us humans can actually win this battle. Yes, we are often weak and lazy, but there is one weapon that humans have in the struggle against the mechanical death horde and that is idealism.
Robots are efficient and utilitarian. They do work and make things. But humans have vision, aspirations, and hopes. Robots do, but humans dream.
All great historical accomplishments were made possible not just by human labor but by human ingenuity and creativity. The Great Wall of China, the Sistine Chapel, the Internet. What is impressive about humans isn’t just that we built these things, but that we thought them up in the first place.
You are a generation about to head out into a world of artificial intelligence in which robots can do most of the work humans once did. And maybe that is ok. Robots can be the source of our liberation from the drudgery that has characterized most of the human experience across history.
So use robots, but use them in the service of human idealism. Use AI to design better lessons and curriculum materials to improve our schools. Use robotics to perfect surgical techniques that can help save lives. Use eco-friendly technologies to build sustainable climates.
The robots are coming, but we shouldn’t be afraid. Turns out, robots don’t have to be the harbingers of dystopia. Directed by human idealism, they can be the builders of utopia. Remember, in the Wizard of Oz, the one thing the Tin Man wanted was a heart. And that’s what you have. As you now go out into our brave new world, use your heart, your creativity, and your optimism to design technologies that not only do the work of society, but help us build new and better societies.
Just don’t forget to leave the roomba alone, who wants to vacuum anyway?
More: Cacace’s 2015 Faculty Speech: ‘Life’s unfair, so do something about it’
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Wellesley sports: High school girls’ tennis, lacrosse reach D1 finals; WHS alum Thorbjornsen heads to pro golfing tour
The latest Wellesley, Mass., sports news:
High school girls’ tennis, lacrosse reach D1 finals
Both the Wellesley High School girls’ tennis and lacrosse teams have reached the Division 1 state finals, with titles on the line later this week.
The tennis team came from behind to defeat nemesis Lexington High 3-2 in the semi-finals thanks to a clutch victory in the first doubles match by twins Shea and Shannon Welburn. Earlier in the competition, Wellesley freshman Kimmy Tai won second singles and the pair of Sarah Mackley and Mia Chung were victorious in second doubles. The match took place at Newton North High School.
The Raiders will meet the winner of Boston Latin and Newton South, which play on June 11. Details of the finals to be determined.
The Raiders lacrosse team continued to roll as well, knocking off the defending state champion Lincoln-Sudbury team in a 12-5 win. Wellesley, ranked #2, got off to a fast start vs. #3 Lincoln-Sudbury, with Emily Munchak and Olivia Comella leading the way on offense.
Wellesley will face top-seeded Central Catholic on June 13 at 7:30pm at Burlington High School.
![Wellesley vs Framingham girls lacrosse](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/21213802/DSC_0925-1-524x349.jpg)
WHS alum Thorbjornsen heads to pro golfing tour
2020 Wellesley High School alum Michael Thorbjornsen, who earned his PGA card in finishing his final season at Stanford University at No. 1 in the PGA Tour University Ranking, has announced plans to go pro at the age of 22.
His first event as a pro is slated to be the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Ct., which kicks off on June 17. Thorbjornsen finished fourth at Travelers in 2022 as an amateur.
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Hats off to Wellesley High School Class of ’24
Congratulations to the 356 members of the Wellesley High School Class of 2024 who graduated on Friday night, June 7.
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/08212804/IMG_7407-1000x750.jpg)
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10104428/2024-6-7-WHS-Class-of-2024-Graduation-Ceremony-152-524x520.jpg)
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10104334/2024-6-7-WHS-Class-of-2024-Graduation-Ceremony-32-488x524.jpg)
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10104421/2024-6-7-WHS-Class-of-2024-Graduation-Ceremony-46-1000x482.jpg)
Among those individually honored were: Lily Jin, valedictorian and Senior Cup winner; Alexandra Vella, Senior Cup winner; and Meghan Church, Excellence in Teaching Award (Biology). The student speaker was Clementine Zei.
Congrats as well to the Wellesley High faculty, staff, and administration, and of course, WHS families.
Thank you to Wellesley Public Schools and Darren Bovie for sharing these photos. We’ll add Wellesley Media’s recording of the ceremony when it is posted.
![Valedictorian Lily Jin Yellow Tassel](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/08212814/Valedictorian-Lily-Jin-Yellow-Tassel-563x1000.jpg)
![Steven Scott and Band](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/08212811/Steven-Scott-and-Band-1000x750.jpg)
![Kevin MacDonald leads WHS singers](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10105439/2024-6-7-WHS-Class-of-2024-Graduation-Ceremony-42-1000x537.jpg)
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/08212807/IMG_7161-563x1000.jpg)
![Jamie Chisum David Lussier](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/08212801/Jamie-Chisum-David-Lussier-750x1000.jpg)
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10104417/2024-6-7-WHS-Class-of-2024-Graduation-Ceremony-48-1000x593.jpg)
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10104338/2024-6-7-WHS-Class-of-2024-Graduation-Ceremony-127-325x524.jpg)
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10104424/2024-6-7-WHS-Class-of-2024-Graduation-Ceremony-5-524x489.jpg)
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10104413/2024-6-7-WHS-Class-of-2024-Graduation-Ceremony-76-280x524.jpg)
![WHS graduation 2024](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/10104410/2024-6-7-WHS-Class-of-2024-Graduation-Ceremony-155-1000x505.jpg)
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Young Wellesley artists recognized with 2024 Scholastic Art Awards
Congratulations to the dozens of Wellesley students, and their teachers, who have been recognized as among the most artistic in Massachusetts through the annual National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Art awards come in categories such as photography, jewelry and drawing, and writing.
Those winning Gold Keys will be eligible for national awards to be determined later in the year. The Awards give students opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships.
Wellesley High School, Gold Key winners: Evelyn Harris, Caroline Kenny, Daniel Park, Kate Taplin, Rachel Voci (2), Luke Wozny.
WHS Silver Keys: Grady Brown, Ellery Franceschini, Tristan Gardner, Evelyn Harris, Caroline Kenny (2), Alexandra Vella, Isabella Wang, Erin Yu, Joanne Zhang.
WHS Honorable Mention: Lucy Biddlecom, Grady Brown, Eliza Chapman (2), Ellery Franceschini, Grace Hill, Darren Jimenez, Jennna Kelly, Ren Martinian, Katherine Ng, Daniel Park, Bridget Reidy, Taryn Reohr, Lucy Rodriguez, Erin Yu.
DANA HALL STUDENTS
Wellesley resident and Dana Hall School student Laura Zhao was awarded a Gold Key in Painting. Her work, titled “The Great Unraveling,” is pictured below.
Other Dana Hall Gold Key winners are: Angel Fu, Drawing & Illustration; Ella Kang, Photography (2), Luina Qiao, Jewelry; Yudi Wang, Mixed Media.
![Scholastic Art Awards, Dana Hall, Wellesley](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/03091601/Laura-The_Great_Unraveling-1-743x1000.png)
![Scholastic Art Awards, Dana Hall, Wellesley](https://media.theswellesleyreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/03091307/ella-3-1-750x1000.jpeg)
Silver Key winners
Wellesley residents and Dana Hall students awarded Silver Keys are Grace Wang, Digital Art and Zhao, Photography.
Other Dana Hall Silver Key winners are: Fu, Drawing & Illustration; Kang, Mixed Media; Qiao, Jewelry (2); and Sissi Wang, Photography.
Honorable Mention
Wellesley residents and Dana Hall students who achieved Honorable Mention are Kayoon Lee, Painting and G. Wang, Drawing & Illustration.
Other Dana Hall students who took Honorable Mentions are Sophia Huang, Mixed Media; Kang, Photography, and Sculpture; Amy Miao Drawing & Illustration; and Jordan Nichols, Photography.
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