News from Pius X High School
Student-athletes committing to a college sports team (Spring 2020)
Each Fall and Spring, student-athletes announcing their plans to play a sport in college are honored. This spring, the vent could not be held due to in-school class being cancelled, but the students are still honored below. More athletes from this class were honored in the fall of 2019. Ben
Seib, Aylward, Frayser reflect on Pius X careers as they prepare to retire
For over 30 years, Pius X has been blessed with the presence of three special faculty members. Unfortunately, their final year at Pius X was cut short due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, as these Thunderbolts move on to their next chapter of life, they reminisce on their memories
Student-athletes committing to a college sports team (Spring 2020)
Each Fall and Spring, student-athletes announcing their plans to play a sport in college are honored. This spring, the vent could not be held due to in-school class being cancelled, but the students are still honored below. More athletes from this class were honored in the fall of 2019. Ben
Seib, Aylward, Frayser reflect on Pius X careers as they prepare to retire
For over 30 years, Pius X has been blessed with the presence of three special faculty members. Unfortunately, their final year at Pius X was cut short due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, as these Thunderbolts move on to their next chapter of life, they reminisce on their memories
Journalism and Yearbook staffs earn state runner-up
The Pius X journalism and yearbook students earned second place in the NSAA State Journalism competition! This is the highest Pius X has finished at the NSAA State Journalism contest since it began in the 1970s. Here are the individual medalists: Addie O’Meara – CHAMPION – Newspaper Column Writing Brenna
Russman earns state honor for her work in area of world language
Senior Abbie Russman has earned a top honor from the Nebraska Department of Education. Russman was named a recipient of Nebraska World Language Distinguished Scholars 2020 High Honors. In the honor, a quote from Russman reads: “It opens doors in one’s work, school, community, and life and sets one up
Students reflect on the good coming from our present struggle
Students in Sr. Maria’s Theology classes has an opportunity to reflect on impact of the Covid-19 virus. Below are a few responses: Sr. Maria – We are in the midst of a crisis but we must remember that God is not the giver or cause of suffering but that He
AcaDeca Nationals Trip Canceled
At around 6 pm on Friday, March 13, Pius X’s Academic Decathlon coach Ann Kotopka sent out a text with an update about the Alaska Nationals trip. “Sad news but expected…we will not be traveling to Alaska,” Kotopka’s text read. Nationals will continue as planned, but the testing will take
Your failure is not final, says Lenten speaker
Emily Daniel shared part of her life story during a Pius X Lenten Talk. Her story centered around seeking God’s mercy while remembering that one’s failure is not final. Photo Gallery More Audio Stories
Senior Retreat Photo Gallery
Students had adoration, confession and mass, as well as speakers on topics about faith, grooming a beard, cooking tips, asking for a date, and much more.
Joe Finder on finding peace and happiness
Senior Joe Finder shares his own story of how he finds forgiveness and peace after life’s difficult moments. More Audio Stories
Ash Wednesday All School Mass
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Pius X wins state AcaDeca championship
Pius X won the State Championship in the Academic Decathlon, the school’s second straight title. The state event was held Friday and Saturday at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The team was led by junior Clare Oldenburg, the individual state champion, and senior Andrew Kotopka, the individual state runner-up, in the
Seib to retire at the end of school year
Tom Seib – teacher, coach, principal and mentor at Pius X High School – will retire at the end of the 2019-20 school year. Seib will be honored during tonight’s basketball games. Seib began teaching in 1974, and began teaching social studies at Pius X in 1984. He coached basketball,
Evert shares passion, love, stories of chastity and virtues
Catholic speaker Jason Evert shared a powerful message to our students today, focusing on God’s love for them, the gift of chastity, reclaiming purity, and lots more. His humor kept all engaged, his stories of breakthrough moments from others showed us various paths to a new freedom, and his passion
Musicians share their love of song, dance with area schools
Musicians from Pius X performed a five-stop tour in one school day! Every year, student musicians visit Catholic schools in Lincoln to perform for their students. As many of our Pius students are alums of these schools, it is often a well-loved experience for them. This year, the Choral department
New Student Open House Photo Gallery
Photos from our annual New Student Open House Latest Stories
Two new administrators announced for Pius X High School
Pius X High School has announced two new hires to its administrative team for the 2020-21 school year. Greg Lesiak has been named the new Athletics / Activities Director, replacing the retiring Tim Aylward. Shelly Pick has been named the Director of Guidance, replacing the retiring Jan Frayser. Lesiak came
Eucharistic Procession and Mass Photo Gallery
Photos from our Eucharistic Procession and All School Mass during Catholic Schools Week 2020.
Planes, lift and learning with computers
Teacher Jim Bertrand has students explore the impact of drag and lift and wings and weight using a computer simulation in his Physical Science class.
Epiphany Mass celebrates the uniting of worldly Pius X students
Our second semester started with our annual Epiphany Mass. Students with family ties to countries around the world carry that country’s flag in a procession before mass. In his homily, Fr. Bernardo said each flag is important because it makes up the whole of this school and this world, and
Thunderettes raise funds with finals week survival kits
The Thunderettes dance team put on their annual Finals Week Survival Kits fundraiser December 16. The bags ranged anywhere between five to fifteen dollars per student. Depending on what exact kit the student wanted. “The bags all have snacks, drinks, miscellaneous things that we think will help people get through
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Student Awards 2020
By Name | By Department Outstanding Business Students Jonathan Andreasen Olivia Bonta Kaydin Dudek Nicholas Olsson Katie Stonehocker English Honors Outstanding Student in Social Literature Braden Kowalski Outstanding Student in Yearbook Rachel Napier Kara Owens Outstanding Speech Class Student Emmalee
Student Awards 2020
By Name | By Department Sydney Aldrich 4.0 GPA for One Semester Elizabeth Aldridge 4.0 GPA for One Semester Jackson Aldridge 4.0 GPA for One Semester Madelyn Ames 4.0 GPA for Five Semesters Jonathan Andreasen Outstanding Business Student Luke Andres
PxK: Two Week Countdown!
You have 2 weeks remaining to read and log pages for the Pius X 10,000 page Team Reading Challenge! Teams that have read more than 10,000 pages by May 1, 2020 will be eligible for our fabulous prize drawing. Log
Russman earns state honor for her work in area of world language
Senior Abbie Russman has earned a top honor from the Nebraska Department of Education. Russman was named a recipient of Nebraska World Language Distinguished Scholars 2020 High Honors. In the honor, a quote from Russman reads: “It opens doors in
Students reflect on the good coming from our present struggle
Students in Sr. Maria’s Theology classes has an opportunity to reflect on impact of the Covid-19 virus. Below are a few responses: Sr. Maria – We are in the midst of a crisis but we must remember that God is
Meeting for parents and juniors signed up for the Washington D.C. trip
The purpose of this meeting is to learn more about the itinerary, departure and arrival times and other details about the trip.
April is National Poetry Month
This is a good one for 2020:
And the winner is…
Harry Potter! Thanks for playing March Book Madness 2020!
Books Are Available: Options for Finding and Accessing New Titles
Don’t be without a book during this time of Social Distancing! You can still get new titles, in both print and digital formats, even though libraries are closed. Access to Print Materials Pius X Library print materials are available by
Gospel & Homily from Pius X – March 19
Fr. James Meysenburg reads the Gospel (according to Matthew) on the Feast of St. Joseph, and offers a homily from the Chapel at Pius X High School. More Audio Stories
Gospel & Homily from Pius X – March 18
Fr. James Meysenburg reads the Gospel (Matthew 5:17-19) and offers a homily from the Chapel at Pius X High School. More Audio Stories
PxK: Keep Reading
Congratulations to our teams who have reached the 10,000 page reading goal! 142,881 pages – The Baking Bunch 66,478 pages – Five of Crows 63,959 pages – Crazy Ducklings 48,901 pages – Moms of Boys 41,379 pages – TBD1 40,389
AcaDeca Nationals Trip Canceled
At around 6 pm on Friday, March 13, Pius X’s Academic Decathlon coach Ann Kotopka sent out a text with an update about the Alaska Nationals trip. “Sad news but expected…we will not be traveling to Alaska,” Kotopka’s text read.
Your failure is not final, says Lenten speaker
Emily Daniel shared part of her life story during a Pius X Lenten Talk. Her story centered around seeking God’s mercy while remembering that one’s failure is not final. Photo Gallery More Audio Stories
Senior Retreat Photo Gallery
Students had adoration, confession and mass, as well as speakers on topics about faith, grooming a beard, cooking tips, asking for a date, and much more.
Tenth Power – March 2020
Roaring towards …BOLT: Prohibition and Pearls! This year’s annual BOLT Gala will feature the 20s, as in the 1920s. Join us for a night to support the Bolts. What we’re celebrating: AcaDeca! Pius X won its second straight state title,
Joe Finder on finding peace and happiness
Senior Joe Finder shares his own story of how he finds forgiveness and peace after life’s difficult moments. More Audio Stories
Creating, then sharing, their own books in Spanish
In the audience today are fellow students, but some of these students will be chosen to read to students in elementary schools.
Ash Wednesday All School Mass
“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
Pius X wins state AcaDeca championship
Pius X won the State Championship in the Academic Decathlon, the school’s second straight title. The state event was held Friday and Saturday at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. The team was led by junior Clare Oldenburg, the individual state champion,
Sawhorses for sale as project in woods class
Students in Building Construction class taught by Don McKee are making wooden sawhorses for customers. Orders for the Spring semester are limited to the first 10 submitted. (A waiting list will be made available after 10 orders have been received.)
Seib to retire at the end of school year
Tom Seib – teacher, coach, principal and mentor at Pius X High School – will retire at the end of the 2019-20 school year. Seib will be honored during tonight’s basketball games. Seib began teaching in 1974, and began teaching
Evert shares passion, love, stories of chastity and virtues
Catholic speaker Jason Evert shared a powerful message to our students today, focusing on God’s love for them, the gift of chastity, reclaiming purity, and lots more. His humor kept all engaged, his stories of breakthrough moments from others showed
Musicians share their love of song, dance with area schools
Musicians from Pius X performed a five-stop tour in one school day! Every year, student musicians visit Catholic schools in Lincoln to perform for their students. As many of our Pius students are alums of these schools, it is often
New Student Open House Photo Gallery
Photos from our annual New Student Open House Latest Stories
Two new administrators announced for Pius X High School
Pius X High School has announced two new hires to its administrative team for the 2020-21 school year. Greg Lesiak has been named the new Athletics / Activities Director, replacing the retiring Tim Aylward. Shelly Pick has been named the
Eucharistic Procession and Mass Photo Gallery
Photos from our Eucharistic Procession and All School Mass during Catholic Schools Week 2020.
Live from the Library!: ALA Youth Media Awards
Pius X Library will be hosting a live broadcast of the 2020 ALA Youth Media Awards Monday, January 27, starting at 7am. Come for donuts and coffee and be the first to see the next great titles in Young Adult
Planes, lift and learning with computers
Teacher Jim Bertrand has students explore the impact of drag and lift and wings and weight using a computer simulation in his Physical Science class.
Epiphany Mass celebrates the uniting of worldly Pius X students
Our second semester started with our annual Epiphany Mass. Students with family ties to countries around the world carry that country’s flag in a procession before mass. In his homily, Fr. Bernardo said each flag is important because it makes
Thunderettes raise funds with finals week survival kits
The Thunderettes dance team put on their annual Finals Week Survival Kits fundraiser December 16. The bags ranged anywhere between five to fifteen dollars per student. Depending on what exact kit the student wanted. “The bags all have snacks, drinks,
Gage Campbell earns Jazz band honor
Sophomore Gage Campbell has been accepted into the Young Lions Big Band. It is an honor band for musicians age 21-and-under. Campbell plays the baritone saxophone. On February 1, he will be performing with the Young Lions Big Band opening
Teresa Raun’s story of Nathan and the gifts of God
Teresa Raun spoke at our Advent Service about the many gifts God gives us all, while sharing the story of her late son, Nathan.
Claire Maly’s story of roses, wildflowers, and the details of prayer and life
Campus Minister Claire Maly shares her story about the impact Our Lady of Guadalupe has had on her life, specifically when considering a life-changing decision.
AcaDeca students earn medals at scrimmage
The following students earned a medal in the December Academic Decathlon Scrimmage held at Creighton Prep High School this past Saturday. The fields tested were Economic, Music, Science. Nineteen Pius students participated. HONORS Economics Music Science Andrew Kotopka – BRONZE GOLD Clare
The psychology of languages, as learned by understanding language basics
During the language unit in psychology, students take a look at the underlying psychology of language learning by examining history, motivation, memory, and the mind.
Fr. Bedient on our vocations from God
Fr. Bedient talks about his own journey and gifts through a life of love and loss and love again thanks to God’s vocation for him.
Christmas Choir Concert 2019
The Lincoln Pius X High School Christmas Choir Concert at St. Patrick’s Church in Lincoln, Neb. 2019 Photo Gallery Latest Stories
St. Nick at Night event offers fun opportunity for families
As people started to file into the commons at Pius X, there was one thing everyone had in mind. They were ready to celebrate St. Nick during the Foundation Department’s annual St. Nick at Night event. The celebration started at
Guidance Office hosting scholarship social through Thursday
The Pius X guidance office is hosting their annual Scholarship Social event December 3-5. Each day, seniors can go down to the Mother Teresa Conference Room and learn information about scholarships they’re eligible for, how to apply for them, and
Reading is THE BALM!
Log Pages for the PXK Challenge during the month of December and get a prize. Visit the the library to pick up your minty lip balm!
Claire Wackel on accepting God’s gifts
Senior Claire Wackel (Saint Joseph School) spoke at today’s Advent Service of her own journey to accept God’s unique gifts for her.
At this bazaar, you’ll find deals, excitement and Spanish language
Spanish IV students were in shopping mode at their in-class bazaar. They could only speak Spanish when negotiating a price for various and random items their classmates tried to sell. This bazaar was a high-energy, bustling center for goods where
Students compete in Stock Market Challenge
What do Sunbucks, Apollo Athletics, and Orange, Inc. all have in common? They are fictional companies in the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge. Students from Alex Hain’s Academic Decathlon class and Ryan Psota’s Economics class participated in the fifth annual
Stock Market Challenge allows students to apply classroom lessons
About 60 Pius X students participated in Tuesday’s Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge on Innovation Campus at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Their goal was to work in teams to invest in a fictional stock market, using tips, news
Playing games as a learning exercise in Psychology class
To complete the unit on learning, Psychology students spent half of a class period playing with games and memory toys. Play is powerful for children, It’s actually the key to learning. Researchers and educators across the world have found that
Fall 2019 Student-Athlete Recognition
Fall 2019 Student-Athlete Recognition Ceremony Eleven student-athletes recognized for committing to play a sport in college Eleven student-athletes from Pius X High School were recognized on November 13 for having committed and signed to play a sport in college. A
Mock trial team advances to Districts
The Pius X mock trial Team One competed against York in Districts at the Lancaster County courthouse on Tuesday, Nov. 12. This was the first time a Pius X team has advanced to Districts since 2016. The team consisted of
Medical job shadowing helps students consider potential careers
Two Pius X students took part in a medical job shadowing experience to provide insight into a possible future career. Seniors Jacylan Doering and Maddie Birch answered questions about their experiences. Where did you have your shadowing experience? Jacylan: My
All Souls Mass Photo Gallery
On Monday, Nov. 4, we held our annual All Souls Mass for the families of our deceased Alumni of Cathedral and Pius X High School, and the special intentions of our students, faculty and staff.
Pius X students step up for blood drive
On November 6, Pius X had their annual blood drive for Nebraska Community Blood Bank. Student Council sponsor Susan Kelly, who oversaw the blood drive, said, “The people at the blood bank gave us a goal and Pius X students
Adame honored for research, selected for world youth event
Jesse Adame, a junior, conducted research and wrote a paper about food sustainability and then competed with students from all over Nebraska and was chosen as one of 6 Nebraska delegates to attend the Youth Institute at the World Food
Fourteen students earn medals in AcaDeca scrimmage
The Pius X Academic Decathlon team participated in November Academic Decathlon Scrimmage held at Gross High School. The fields tested were Art History, Language & Literature, and Math. Thirty-four Pius students participated. Super Quiz: GOLD-Clare Oldenburg, Ben Blankeau, Ashton Ivanov, Marcos Oyler, Garrett
Aylward, Frayser to retire at end of school year
Tim Aylward, the school’s athletic director, and Jan Frayser, the Director of Guidance, will both retire at the end of the 2019-20 school year.
Timmerman wins student pro-life essay contest
Tess Timmerman, a student at Pius X High School, has been named the winner of a state essay contest for ninth-grade students. She won the 2019 Nebraska State Pro Life Essay Contest sponsored by the Nebraska Knights of Columbus State
Culinary challenge adds extra ingredient to food prep lesson
In Culinary Arts, students are working on ‘food preparation,’ so to liven up the unit on eggs, teacher Amy Shonka created a culinary competition – Deviled Egg Duals – in which each student team selected their own deviled egg recipe
Ofrenda created by Latinos Unidos
The members of Latinos Unidos here at Pius have put this ofrenda together to celebrate day of the dead.
2019 yearbook earns state’s top honor
The 2019 Yearbook has been awarded a Cornhusker Award from the Nebraska High School Press Association. This is the highest award for a high school publication on the state level. “The students put in a ton of work to make
New Library Books!
New books are arriving on the shelves daily. Visit the library often to check out new titles! The following new releases were recommended by Pius X students and faculty:
Class of 2019 students match school’s best ACT score
Pius X High School students in the Class of 2019 matched the school’s all-time highest ACT composite score, in a report released Wednesday. The scores reflect the students’ achievements in the curriculum-based assessment. This year’s composite score of 24.8 matches
Girls golf takes 4th place at state
The State Golf Championships are in the books with the Pius X girls team finishing in 4th place in Class A! Two student-athletes earned medals: freshman Nicole Kolbas finished with the silver medal, and senior Lauren Carr finished tenth. Congrats!
Teens’ Top Ten
The Young Adult Library Services Association holds an annual competition to determine the best YA Literature published in the prior year. The book nominees are determined by teams of high school students throughout the country who read and review Advance
Speech and Debate program earns national honor
The Pius X High School speech and debate team has earned membership in a prestigious club. The National Speech & Debate Association (National Forensic League) has given the program membership into its 100 Club. The association said this accomplishment demonstrates
Junior Retreat Day 2019
Our Junior Retreat Day was all about service and reflection in our community. The Class of 2021 spread throughout the community, including Calvary Cemetery, Food Fort and Sunken Gardens. Latest Stories
AcaDeca Trip to NYC
Aca Deca took their annual fall trip to New York City to further study their theme of “In Sickness and In Health.” In just five days the students did the following activities: Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, toured The Cloisters,
Restore brings Pius X community together in prayer
The Pius X Campus Ministry team arranges praise and worship events called Restore. These exhibitions provide Pius X students the experience of hearing fellow students’ testimonies and adoration and confessions in a community setting. Restore is held the first Wednesday
PXK – 1 Month Page Totals
Congratulations to our Top 10 PxK Teams! 33,687 pages – The Baking Bunch 12,481 pages – Five of Crows 11,584 pages – TBD1 9,552 pages – Team AcaDeca 8,560 pages – Moms of Boys 7,832 pages- Crazy Ducklings 6,545 pages
Feast of Saint Jerome
How should we celebrate the Feast Day of the Patron Saint of Libraries? Read Scripture! Read assiduously and learn as much as you can. Let sleep find you holding your Bible, and when your head nods, let it be resting
Banned Books Week
Today marks the end of Banned Books Week 2019. This annual celebration calls attention to our freedom to seek information and express ideas through books. The modern, progressive function of Banned Books Week is to champion books that have been
Founders / Grandparents Day Mass Photo Gallery 2019
We celebrated our Founders and our grandparents with a special all-school Mass on Sept. 27. A special thanks to all of our special guests for blessing us with their presence and continued prayers. Latest Stories
Students and fans enjoy annual homecoming tailgate
Good food, good people and a relaxing time is how Pius X chaplain Fr. Joseph Bernardo described the Pius X tailgate. Pius X’s homecoming football game and tailgate happened last Friday with the tailgate starting at 5:30 and the game
Homecoming Tailgate 2019
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Pep Rally (Homecoming 2019)
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Royalty (Homecoming 2019)
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Marching Band (Homecoming 2019)
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Football Game Gallery (Homecoming 2019)
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Dance Team Gallery (Homecoming 2019)
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Foundation office moves to new space in school
The Pius X Foundation staff has moved from three offices to one office inside of Pius X High School. With the new classroom addition, the Family and Consumer Science department had new classroom space. The former FCS classroom (formerly Room
Students geocaching in 3E Science class
Studying latitude and longitude – combined with creative lesson planning by science teacher Lori Watson – led to a geocaching activity for students in Earth, Energy and Environment.
PxK: Ten Day Page Totals
The page totals from the first 10 days of the PxK Team Reading Challenge have been calculated and the Top 10 Teams are: Baking Bunch – 5,553 pages Five of Crows – 5,471 pages Team AcaDeca – 5,225 pages All
AcaDeca students visit Joslyn
A group of Pius X Academic Decathlon students took a trip to the Joslyn art museum in Omaha last Saturday. The main reason for this Saturday morning trip was because the Joslyn holds a painting by John Singer Sargent, one
Joslyn trip offers insight into AcaDeca topic, ‘In Sickness and In Health’
Academic Decathlon wrapped up its study of Art History this week with a tour of Omaha’s Joslyn Art Gallery.
Witt steps down as head swimming coach
Mike Witt has stepped down as the head coach of Swimming & Diving at Pius X High School to take a coaching position in Texas. Witt coached the Thunderbolts for five years, leading the girls teams to three-straight top-three finishes,
Ames shares talents with Thunderbolt crowd
As the Friday night lights beam down on Aldrich Field and the band begins to play, there’s one performer who stands out from the rest. Maddie Ames is a junior at Pius X and began twirling at 5 years old.
Fall Kickoff Photo Gallery
Most of these photos were taken by a Yearbook photographer, once again showing the amazing talent in front of and behind the camera!
Common reasons for students to visit the library
The school library is a vibrant, active place of learning throughout each school day. Below are great reasons to visit the library. Students are required to scan in/out with their ID cards through the library check-in system. *To READ or
Freshmen Retreat 2019
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DeWispelare chosen for honor at national speech competition
Nolan DeWispelare, a teacher and coach at Pius X High School, was selected and served in the final round judge pool of the 2019 National Speech & Debate Tournament, the largest academic competition in the world. “I consider selection as
Student Council preps for the new school year
Student Council members had a welcome back retreat today, even though they were rained out from their usual picnic at Holmes Lake! They welcomed the new freshmen members, distributed T shirts, shared lunch, and did some team building! Each fall
Students pick up key lessons from Boys/Girls State experiences
Six students from Pius X High School participated in Boys State / Girls State this summer: Maggie Barie, Madeline Boothe, Abby Russman, Sean Freudenberg, Carlos Gutierrez, Nick McElroy. They answered questions about their experiences and the impact on them as
Thunderbolt Fun Run 2019 – 1 Mile Photo Gallery
1 Mile: Photos | Results5K: Photos | ResultsMore about the Thunderbolt Fun Run
Thunderbolt Fun Run 2019 – 5k Photo Gallery
1 Mile: Photos | Results5K: Photos | ResultsMore about the Thunderbolt Fun Run
Student completes landscape project to improve ground maintenance
Landon Novosad is a junior at Pius X High School. He completed a landscaping project outside the Commons as a way to help the school and take a big step toward earning his Eagle Scout. What was the work you
Tomes’ classwork and practices pay off with perfect ACT score
Luke Tomes had a goal and a plan for the ACT: Practice, use what he learned in classes at Pius X, and practice some more. His hard work paid off with a perfect 36 score! For his senior year, he’ll