Category Archives: Ascension

Brianna Franklin and T.J. Wisham will reign as queen and king of the University of Louisiana at Lafayettes 2021 homecoming.

Franklin, Wisham and the eight other members of the homecoming court will be presented during halftime of the homecoming game. The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns will face the Texas State Bobcats at 4 p.m. Oct. 30 at Cajun Field.

Any registered student organization or athletic team could submit nominations for the court. A panel of faculty and staff members, student-athletes and student leaders interviewed applicants and assigned scores to each.

The 10 nominees with the highest scores became members of the court. The highest-scoring female and male applicants were Franklin and Wisham.

Members of the 2021 homecoming court at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette are Cheramie Wagoner, Katherine Bryant, Ayree Jaylynn Johnson, Sydney Babin, Trevian Ambroise, Joseph Irish Caldwell, Reed Broussard and Anjolaoluwa Oni.

Area members of the court include:

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Sydney Babin is a senior from Watson, majoring in marketing. She was nominated by Kappa Delta Sorority.

During her time at UL, Babin has been house chair for Kappa Delta. She was a member of the Student Government Association. Babin represented the B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration on theStudent Government Association as senator and president. She was a member of the Student Orientation Staff.

Babin is the daughter of Darren Babin and Tara Shows.

Cheramie Wagoner is a graduate student from Prairieville, pursuing a masters degree in communication. She was nominated by Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.

Wagoner is a graduate assistant in UL's Office of Communications and Marketing. She was an intern in the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership. As a mentor and lead staff member for SOUL Camp, Wagoners duties included co-chairing staff development and recruitment. She was a member of the Student Government Association.

Her parents are Monette Wagoner and Barry Wagoner.

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Livingston and Ascension students named to UL homecoming court - The Advocate

In a rematch of the 2016 Division IV state title game, Southern Lab, ranked No. 4 in Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 1A poll, held on to defeat Ascension Episcopal 33-31 on Friday in Youngsville,.

Southern Lab forced four turnovers in the first half to help them take a 26-0 advantage into halftime before a game Ascension Episcopal squad scored 21 unanswered points over the final 5:48, before failing on a two-point conversion with under 1:00 to go, as the Kittens recorded their fifth victory of the season.

"I'm proud of the fact that we beat a good football team tonight but just not happy with the way we finished the game," said Southern Lab head coach Darell Asberry. "We lost two games by a total of 10 points, and we had the lead in both games, but we didn't finish. So, while I'm happy about the win, we have to learn how to finish if we're going to compete for a state championship."

Southern Lab quarterback Angelo Izzard threw for 145 yards and one touchdown, to go along with a rushing touchdown in the first half. He finished with more than 170 passing yards, while Douglas Thornton rushed for more than 130 yards and two scores, compiling more than 80 yards in the second half.

With the victory, the Kittens improved to 5-2 on the season, while Ascension Episcopal, a Class 2A school, dropped to 5-2.

"I think we're playing good football right now, but again, we just have to finish better," said Asberry. "Our offensive and defensive line both played well tonight. We gave up a few too many big plays, but I'm really happy with the win. I'm happy with how we've progressed and where we're at."

Excerpt from:

Southern Lab builds big first-half lead, then holds off Ascension Episcopal - The Advocate

At Crawfish Aquatics

Team totals: 1, St. Josephs Academy 618. 2, Episcopal 359. 3, East Ascension 228. 4, Holden 25. 5, St. Michael 24. 6, The Dunham School 21. 7, East Iberville 12

Top individuals

200-yard medley relay: 1, SJA 2:00.16. 2, Episcopal 2:18.22. 3, East Ascension 2:50.15

200 freestyle: 1, CeCe Werth, SJA, 2:03.53. 2, Laura Purgerson, SJA, 2:06.25. 3, Lyla Roper, SJA, 2:08.91.

200 individual medley: 1, Madeline Oubre, SJA, 2:22.19. 2, Caroline Roberts, SJA, 2:25.02. 3, Claudia Magee, SJA, 2:28.99.

50 freestyle: 1, Abigail Gibson, Episcopal, 26.61. 2, Caroline Munson, SJA, 26.62. 3, Alexa Ryon Bennett, Episcopal, 26.80.

100 butterfly: 1, Kate Fawley, SJA, 1:03.39. 2, Caroline Munson, SJA, 1:04.24. 3, Claudia Magee, SJA, 1:05.11.

100 freestyle: 1, Anna Guidroz, SJA, 57.41. 2, Abigail Gibson, Episcopal, 57.54. 3, Alexa Ryon Bennett, Episcopal, 58.24.

500 freestyle: 1, CeCe Werth, SJA, 5:20.34. 2, Rylee Simoneaux, Episcopal, 5:23.25. 3, Caroline Roberts, SJA, 5:43.82.

200 freestyle relay: 1, Episcopal 1:46.97. 2, SJA 1:47.06. 3, East Ascension 2:06.67.

100 backstroke: 1, Rylee Simoneaux, Episcopal, 1:00.72. 2, Laura Purgerson, SJA, 1:04.79. 3, Lyla Roper, SJA, 1:06.88.

100 breaststroke: 1, Madeline Oubre, SJA, 1:11.15. 2, Anna Guidroz, SJA, 1:16.73. 3, Caroline Beck, SJA, 1:18.40.

400 freestyle relay: 1, Episcopal 3:55.03. 2, SJA 3:55.67. 3, Episcopal 4:30.03.

Team totals: 1, Catholic 493. 2, The Dunham School 253. 3, East Ascension 233. 4, Episcopal 207. 5, St. Michael 39. 6, McKinley 13.

Top individuals

200 medley relay: 1, Catholic 1:54.68. 2, Episcopal 2:10.24. 3, East Ascension 2:18.47.

200 freestyle: 1, Austin Manning, Catholic, 2:16.64. 2, Brady Eldredge, Catholic, 2:18.60. 3, Carter Gibson, Catholic, 2:19.11.

200 IM: 1, Miles Babin, Catholic, 2:18.24. 2, Santos Ramos, Episcopal, 2:51.61.

50 freestyle: 1, Tiago Faleiros, Dunham, 22.66. 2, Reed Jantzi, Dunham, 24.01. 3, Allen Pierson, Catholic, 25.10.

100 butterfly: 1, Jeffery Talbot, Catholic, 56.75. 2, Patrick Murphy, Dunham, 57.35. 3, D.J. Hudson, Catholic, 1:07.19.

100 freestyle: 1, James Maher, Catholic, 54.36. 2, Joseph Mensmann, Catholic, 55.00. 3, Sebi Vargas, Catholic, 59.55.

500 freestyle: 1, D.J. Hudson, Catholic, 6:26.66. 2, Hayden Hingle, Dunham, 6:57.06. 3, Andrew Poche, East Ascension, 7:45.92.

200 freestyle relay: 1, Dunham 1:36.85. 2, Catholic 1:46.35. 3, Episcopal 1:56.98.

100 backstroke: 1, Patrick Murphy, Dunham, 59.05. 2, Jeffery Talbot, Catholic, 1:00.73. 3, Miles Babin, Catholic, 1:03.52.

100 breaststroke: 1, Tiago Faleiros, Dunham, 1:03.07. 2, Reed Jantzi, Dunham, 1:11.01. 3, Andrew Hansen, Catholic, 1:17.33.

400 freestyle relay: 1, Dunham 3:35.32. 2, Catholic 3:51.96. 3, East Ascension 4:14.10.

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Check out the results from Saturday's Capital City Swin League Meet - The Advocate

What is Ascension?

Ascension is the process of spiritual awakening that moves you into ahigher level of consciousness. When this happens, you may experience some ascension symptoms.

Through the process of ascension, yourvibrational frequency is becoming lighter. This requires the discarding of egoic thinking and moving into a lighter realm of love and light. Through this process of Ascension, you will become aware of the interconnectedness of all things and will be able to let go of thought patterns and physical structures that cause stress and fear.

Ascension is a wonderful process that will lead to radical changes in the way you think, act, and interact with others. However, as with all spiritual changes, there may be some discomfort along the way.

You may experience some ascension symptoms as you go through this process ofspiritual awakening. However, these ascension symptoms are not inevitable and are not caused by the ascension process itself.

They are actually a result of holding on to limitations andresistance to the process. By working through any Ascension symptoms you can reduce the discomfort and speed up the process of Ascension.

Here are 7 Ascension symptoms you might experience on your path to awakening

You may experience heightened sensitivity to the environment. You may find an increase in your sense of smell, touch, hearing, and taste.

These symptoms can sometimes be uncomfortable. You may develop food intolerances as your bodypurifies itself of what no longer serves you.

In addition, you may find you can no longer bear certain fabrics, artificial body care products, or chemical-based cleaners. You may also become sensitive to strong smells, loud noises, heat, and cold.

On the more positive side, you may become more present, noticing the beauty in things more than you did before. You may also get quite emotional on hearing beautiful music or looking at a wonderful sunset. As well as these symptoms you may also start to see auras and orbs or hear sounds that others cannot hear.

You may experience physical changes in your body. This could be in the form of aches and pains.Common areas to hold tension and resistance are the neck and shoulders, throat, and jaw.

These symptoms may be because you feel like you are carrying a heavy burden or because you are afraid to voice your thoughts for fear of what others might think.

Practicing meditation, yoga, or Reiki can help these physical symptoms. You can also try spiritual cleansing, massage, chakra meditation, or a simple salt bath to help shift blocked energies. But remember they may be a call to change.

Notice how you feel after any activity. If it makes you feel lighter, more joyful, and energetic then it is obviously in line with your new awareness. If it makes you feel tired and achy or lowers your mood then see if you can reduce this activity in your life.

On a more positive note, your changes in sensitivity might have led you to choose lighter and fresher foods and to be more interested in taking care of your physical body. You may have also moved towards a more natural lifestyle and want to spend more time in nature.

These choices may have led you to feel physically fitter, healthier, and more energetic.

Your heightened sensitivity may affect you emotionally as well as physically. As part of the ascension process, you may find that you experience rapid changes in mood. You may also experience increasedempathy.

As well as being more sensitive to the emotions of others, you also find yourself dealing with emotional disturbances from the past.While this may feel uncomfortable, it is part of the process of healing and developing.

As well as these negative emotions you may also experienceunaccountable moments of joy and bliss. You may find that you experience intense feelings of love for all beings. You may be overwhelmed to the point of tears by the beauty of a flower, the laughter of a child, or the tears of a loved one.

The important thing is not to deny or repress these feelings but to experience them.Allow yourself to cry or be angry if you need to.

Write a letter to someone who hurt you, or to yourself, to express these feelings. Talk to someone you trust if your feel it will be helpful. Or simply laugh, sing, cry or dance the feelings. You can also journal, paint, or express these emotions in some other creative outlet.

When strong emotions come up, breathe, face, and feel the emotion in whatever way feels appropriate, and then when youre ready, let it go.

You may experience drastic changes in energy. Sometimes you might wake with energy flooding through you and zest and enthusiasm for life and at other times feeling lethargic or depressed. This is all part of the process.

Try to go with your energy levels and rest when you need to. Pay attention to what might be causing these changes.Are certain people or situations leaving you drained, while others energize you?Follow these signs from your body. They are guiding you towards a more joyful and fulfilling life.

As a result of this process, you may also be more aware of where blockages in your body and energetic field are. You might notice tightness in your throat, shallow breathing, tension in the stomach, or constriction around the heart area.

It may now be possible for you to release these blockages byimagining light flowing into these areas. You can also use chakra meditation, yoga, or Reiki to help shift the blocks and allow the higher energies to flow more easily.

As you shift your energies to a higher frequency you may feel a bit disorientated and detached from reality. Practicing a grounding technique such aswalking barefoot on the earth can help to stabilize youand maintain a balance between your physical and spiritual form.

Spendingtime in naturecan also help you to remain grounded.

Ascension can affect your sleep patterns causing you to need more or less sleep.A great deal of spiritual work, such as releasing old energies, healing, and integration, happens while you sleep. This can mean you experience vivid dreams or keep waking up during the night.

You might like to spend some time journaling or drawing if you wake up after a dream to help you integrate the dream knowledge. If you find it difficult to sleep try meditation or any spiritual practice that feels right for you.

Spiritual Ascension can affect your relationships. This is one of the things that often holds us back, aswe are scared to lose the ones we love. However, those who are meant to be in our lives will embrace the new version of ourselves and we will find new friends and soul mates coming into our lives as we change.

It can be hard to let go of people, but some people were only meant to be with us for a certain season of our lives.

Sometimes, as part of your Ascension, you may havean experience of loss, longing, or nostalgia. There may be a sense of something you want or need but you just cant grasp what it is. There may also be a feeling of longing for home, but with no idea of what home is.

The process of Ascension can lead us to feel disorientated.Journaling about these feelings often leads to more clarity. Make some quiet time to spend with yourself every day so you can learn more about who you really are, what your purpose might be, and what home means to you.

As you progress through the process you willfind your spiritual home and you will find yourself.

As far as possible stay open to the experience of all these Ascension symptoms.Blocking or resisting them will slow down the ascension process. Let go and allowthe changesof Ascension to flow through your life.

Get help and support when you need it.If you have no one in your life that understands what you are going through then you can find a supportive community online or join a local group with a spiritual orientation. In this way, you will find people who will understand what you are going through and provide you with support and guidance.

If youre having physical or mental symptoms, it might be wise toseek professional help to rule out physical causes.

There are always positive steps you can take to help you through Ascension symptoms. I recommend you develop a practice such as yoga, meditation, or journaling to help you integrate your new awareness.

Your practice can actually be whatever you find supports you, whether that is spending time in nature, art music, Wicca, angel meditation, or any other practice you find supportive. The key is to be consistent and make time to focus on your spiritual health and wellbeing every day.

Have you experienced symptoms of spiritual ascension? Wed love to hear about them in the comments. Your experience may help someone who is going through a similar process.

Contributing writer at Learning Mind

Kirstie Pursey holds a diploma in creative writing from the Open University and works as a writer, blogger, and storyteller. She lives in London with her family of people, dogs, and cats. She is a lover of reading, writing, being in nature, fairy lights, candles, fireside, and afternoon tea.

Excerpt from:

7 Ascension Symptoms That Show You Are Awakening - Learning Mind

Posted: Oct 15, 2021 / 03:15 PM CDT / Updated: Oct 15, 2021 / 05:41 PM CDT

About one in four women in the United States will develop breast cancer at some point during their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.

Local doctors at Ascension Providence are doing their part during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to educate women on early detection. Most breast cancer cases are diagnosed after the age 50.

If you have a family history of breast cancer, it raises your chance of getting it. They also say even with no family history women can still develop it.

Woman are recommended to start annual mammograms at the age of 40.

As long as youre diligent about getting your your annual breast screening exam and everything, if it does come up, were going to catch it, says Ascension Providence Breast Health Center Radiologist Dr. Erin Prince. I know October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but, you know, were diagnosing breast cancer the other eleven months of the year. So no matter what time of year it is, just make sure youre up to date and come see us.

Ascension Providence has been lighting its building pink all month to bring awareness.

To learn how you can schedule a mammogram, you can go here.

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Ascension Providence shares importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month - KWKT - FOX 44

A good gym gives you confidence and a new look. Ascension Borgess Health & Fitness has its own plan for growth and change with renovations and a new makeover.

Anyone who has followed a regimented fitness program knows that if you consistently put the work in, you'll see results. I started running in 2006 and went from a 5k to a half-marathon the next year. Although I couldn't have imagined turning around at the finish line and running back to the start, I did a full 26.2-mile marathon the next year. Soon, it was triathlons, 50k races and a couple of 50 milers. Next, I've got my eye on earnign a belt buckle in a hundred-miler.Full disclosure: I work out at Ascension Borgess Fitnesss. I've also been working with a strength and conditioning coach for almost a year now and that has been a game-changer. I am faster and stronger than I've ever been.

What I like most about this place is the wide range of members and variety of activities and classes offered. Not everyone here is like me. Most just want to get in some time on the treadmill, drop in on a yoga or spin class, splash in the pool or soak in the hot tub. The median member age is much higher than you'd expect, but I can tell you, it looks like they're out for blood when they play pickleball. Many guys I've chatted with in the locker room have been members for years and years at this place. Now, the facility is getting a renovation and a makeover.

These are the "before" photos, as Ascension Borgess Fitness is making some renovations and undergoing a makeover

CHECK IT OUT: 100 sports records and the stories behind them

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Bulking Up: Renovations at Ascension Borgess Health & Fitness - K1025

Some healthcare workers at Ascension St. John said they're looking for new jobs after they said they were not allowed to opt out of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

In July, Ascension said it would require all employees get a vaccine by November or people would lose their jobs.

Many nurses and healthcare workers contacted News on 6, saying their exemption requests were denied and they feel they have no choice but to leave.

"I love helping people," said Rachael Parker. "I'm a people advocate."

That's why Parker went into nursing nearly 30 years ago. She was an ICU nurse for several years and most recently the stroke coordinator at Ascension Saint John.

"COVID is bad, I've been a patient myself," she said.

Ascension told all employees they must be fully vaccinated by November 12.

Parker said she has had two terrible reactions to vaccines in the past including kidney failure, so she requested a medical exemption.

"I have health issues that make me question taking the vaccine," she said. "I'm not negating it for anyone else."

Parker said it was denied, so she had no option but to quit.

"I had a lot of Ascension employees reach out to me," said Jeremy Strang.

Strang said he's also worked in healthcare for 30 years and helped many nurses request faith-based exemptions for the vaccine.

"I've done faith-based exceptions for 15 years from the flu vaccine," he said.

Several St. John nurses said their religious requests were denied and the company's response was they would cause "undue hardship to the organization" and "increased risk."

These nurses said it's a slap in the face after a year and a half on the frontlines and said patients are the ones who will truly suffer.

"This vaccine is never going to be a one size fits all," Parker said.

Ascension and Ascension St. John didn't respond to a media request before 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Oklahoma's Attorney General said Thursday there is no rule currently in place that requires employers to mandate the vaccine. He said if a federal rule does go into place, his office will ask for an injunction.

View post:

Some Tulsa Healthcare Workers Quit Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate - News On 6

Tonights episode of Dateline delves into inner world of Amy Carlson, a woman who claimed to be God, and was mummified and adorned with glitter and Christmas lights by her cult followers after her death.

Amy Carlson told her followers that she was God incarnate on Earth, but she warned that soon she would ascend. During her last years alive Amy was often drunk and belligerent. She also turned a shade of blue/gray because of the colloidal silver she would ingest.

Her followers also sold colloidal silver, which they claimed cure a host of diseases, including COVID-19. A side effect is a permeant change of skin color. Amy was an alcoholic and also suffered from other disorders which may have included cancer. Her diagnoses are unknown because she did not receive medical help. At some point she asked her followers to take her to a hospital, but they refused because she preached against conventional medicine.

Amys cult, which was called Love Has Won gained members by broadcasting on Facebook and YouTube. Amy lived in several states during her time in the cult. She and a group of followers were kicked out of Hawaii, and she was staying in a houseboat on Lake Shasta soon before her death. Rural Colordao was a home-base for the group, and where her body was found.

After Amy died, her followers kept her body for months before it was discovered in April 2021 in a house outside Crestone, Colorado. They put glitter in her eye sockets and draped her body in electric lights. They believed that she had ascended to a new, Fifth, dimension.

Her cause of death is still unknown, but as of July 2021, the coroner was testing her body for heavy medals because of her use of colloidal silver. Her followers made money by selling colloidal silver and other supplements. In 2020, the groupd received a warning from the FDA for claiming that colloidal silver could cure COVID-19.

After her body was discovered by authorities, seven of the members were arrested for tampering with a corpse as and child abuse. The charges were dropped in September, 2021, with no reason given to the public.

Since her death, the group has failed to stick together and has broken off into at least two different factions.

Amy claimed she had been on Earth in many forms before, including Marilyn Monroe and Princess Diana, but that this was her last time as a mortal.

People who knew Amy before when she was a mortal human mom, however, were shocked by her new role as a god on Earth. She had left everything behind, including her children, to embark on her self-destructive quest to be a spiritual leader.

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DATELINE: The Ascension of Mother God - How did Amy Carlson Die? * starcasm.net - Starcasm

Filmed in 2019 before the onset of the pandemic, Ascension is a documentary by Chinese-American director Jessica Kingdon about social divisions and social climbing in contemporary China.

Shot in 51 locations across the country, the movieaccording to the production notesis observational and essayistic, impressionistic, examining, among other things, the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty and the often coercive relationships between the various levels of capitalist enterprise.

The film had its world premiere at New Yorks Tribeca Film Festival in June, where it won Best Documentary Feature. It has recently been released in the US by MTV Documentary Films.

My aim in Ascension, continues Kingdon, is to draw the viewers attention to the universal aspects of industrial creation and consumption, and pose questions about who benefits from industrial enterprise. In any nation, the benefits are rarely apparent at the bottom of the chain.

The filmmaker explains that she did not mean to single out China as the exemplar of capitalist indignity. Rather, she uses this factory of the world to illustrate the daily realities of industrial systems, both in one nation and around the world.

The movies title is drawn from a poem by the filmmakers great-grandfather written in 1912, just after the fall of the Qing empire.

Ascensions official description reads in part: The film ascends through the levels of the capitalist structure: workers running factory production, the middle class selling to aspirational consumers, and the elites reveling in a new level of hedonistic enjoyment. In traveling up the rungs of Chinas social ladder, the filmmakers show that the contemporary Chinese Dream remains an elusive fantasy for most.

This 97-minute snapshot of China is divided into three sections. The first is the strongest and most revealing. Recruiters for large foreign companies, shouting over loudspeakers like carnival barkers, attempt to entice the jobless: Rides free to the factory ... dorm and food provided ... no health test required20 yuan [$3.10 per hour] ... dorms four people per room (no more than eight!) ... includes air conditioning ... Its for the new Huawei phone ... Earn 220 yuan [a day] at Foxconn ... no criminal record no tattoos allowed ... be as non-tattooed as possible

The camera takes in billboards, with such messages as Work hard, and all wishes come true.

In Kingdons film, we see a number of different sections of the multimillion-strong Chinese working class, from miners digging up rare earths for powering batteries to employees in a fish processing facility, from workers in bottled water factories to those in plants making sex dolls and Ralph Lauren clothing.

The filmmaker took particular care to convey viscerally the sights and sounds of work. Kingdon comments: We lavd [placed a lavalier microphone on] people working in factories as much as we could in order to get first-person sound. One of my favorite sound moments is when the young woman on the water bottle assembly line pauses to take a sip from her portable thermos ... Then there is the moment of those ladies shoes pumping the pedals in the plastic bottle cap factory.

The logic of the global economy finds ironic expression in the fact that the anti-Chinese fanatic Trumps 2020 campaign had its Keep America Great merchandise produced in China, for obvious economic reasons!

According to Kingdon, the excesses of consumerism demand mostly useless objects as they move from the factory to the outside world, where they will live a short life before being turned into polluting waste. Along these lines, she includes scenes from the New South China Mall in Dongguan and the New Century Global Center in Chengdu.

Middle-class ambition is the focus of the second segment. Hopefuls attend workshops and seminars, like Star Boss Entrepreneurial Camp, a two-day workshop where the motto is Monetize Your Personal Brand. At the end, the participants announce their goals. One young man jarringly proclaims: After two days of training, I decided to work to death!

Lets bring the pride of Chinas 5,000-year history to show the world the prettiest smiles, says one motivational speaker. Apparently, self-help gurus are everywhere! There is the International Butler Academy in Chengdu, where drinking glasses are designed to accommodate larger European noses, and the Genghis Security Academy in Beijing for bodyguard training.

The section on the wealthy towards the end of the film is the briefest. In an upscale restaurant, a group of young men and women boast that China is a global player now. A maid prepares a room in a super-posh hotel.

Nathan Truesdells cinematography elegantly suggests the vastness and variations of the country, accentuated by Dan Deacons score. In any event, imagery and sound must count for a good deal in the narration-less documentary.

It is significant that Kingdon pays no attention to the propaganda about communist China. She makes no bones about the fact that China is a highly developed capitalist country with a pronounced and growing social divide. However, she equally makes clear that her film is not meant to be an indictment of that system, rather it is merely an exploration of the paradox of progress.

The result is an intriguing work, but a passive one. Understanding present-day China would involve seriously and painstakingly examining where the society came from. The country underwent convulsive events in the 20th century, above all, the 1949 Revolution. How is it possible that a country ruled by a Communist Party has been transformed into the dog-eat-dog capitalist society that Kingdon portrays? A host of historical questions arise. The directors instincts are generally healthy, but they only take her so far.

Impressionistically gazing on a social phenomenon as complex as China produces some riveting material. However, unless the filmmaker is equipped with a store of historical and social knowledge, her probing camera may generate striking images, but the most profound truths will remain hidden.

Nonetheless, Kingdons documentary accomplishes some of its aims. She asserts: The status anxiety and the alienation of modern capitalism which are apparent in the film are states of being which I found profoundly familiar from my life in the United States. These are ways of being that are increasingly the norm across cultures, and not just in China.

My hope, she continues, is that the familiarity of these anxieties will lead American viewers to question their own ideas about the differences and similarities between the two nations, and examine the unconscious biases they may hold about the superiority of their country. This is not an insignificant objective, particularly given the anti-Chinese propaganda barrage centered in the US.

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Ascension: Social division and social ambition in China - WSWS

Back in the 2019-2020 off-season when the Pittsburgh Pirates sent veteran outfielder Starling Marte to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a two-player package, many set their sights on Liover Peguero. Peguero at the time was considered a very high ceiling shortstop but would need to refine his skills to reach that ceiling.

Overall, he was considered a prospect to watch. One that could break out in the next few years. Fast forward to 2021 and hes become one of baseballs most notable shortstop prospects. FanGraphs currently ranks him #67 and MLB Pipeline has him at #85. Pretty good for a guy who started out both lists as a borderline top 100 prospect (#119 per FanGraphs and a Just Missed Out prospect by MLB Pipeline).

Peguero had a solid season at High-A Greensboro. Throughout 417 plate appearances, the shortstop batted .270/.332/.444 with 14 home runs, 19 doubles, a .338 wOBA, and 108 wRC+. While those werent close to the likes of his teammates such as Matthew Fraizer or Nick Gonzales, they were quite solid given more context.

Peguero was one of the youngest players at High-A Greensboro. He was about the age of the average Bradenton Marauders player and there were 8 different players who appeared in at least 12 games at the Florida Coast League of similar or older age to Peguero. Overall, Greensboro players were about two-and-a-half years older than the talented shortstop. The aforementioned Gonzales and Fraizer were both 2 and 3 years older than Liover by the end of the campaign. So while his bottom line numbers may not stand out among the crowd, being an above league average hitter while also being much younger than your competition is impressive.

Peguero is more of a hit-over-power kind of player. His hit tool projects at 60, which is reaching elite territory. But dont get hit-over-power confused with no power at all. Pegueros power has slowly been improving since his professional debut in 2018.

When the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Peguero, his power was only projected to be a 40, which isnt great by any means. But now he projects with 45-game power. Plus his raw power has always been projected at 50. He also had a single-season best ISO, posting a solid .174 mark this year.

His increased power potential is one of the major reasons he has climbed prospect rankings. Originally a wire-frame, slap hitter, Peguero now stands at a 61, 200-pound frame. Hes added 40 pounds since his first professional season in 2018 with his rookie weight coming in at just 160 pounds. That falls somewhere in the middle of Javier Baez (6-foot, 190 pounds) and Trevor Story (62, 213 pounds). However, the added bulk hasnt slowed him down yet. Hes still a projected plus runner and swiped 28 bases this year. He also projects as an above-average fielder with a strong enough arm to remain at shortstop long term.

The only knocks that can be made about Peguero so far is his plate discipline and batted ball rates. He only had a 7.9% walk rate and 25.2% strikeout rate. He also had a 49.8% ground ball rate and sub-20% line drive rate (18.6%). But the so-so plate discipline numbers arent uncommon for a young player. His batted ball numbers arent anything that cant be fixed with some fine tuning to his swing or approach at the plate.

Peguero has become not just one of baseballs higher-end prospects, but one of the better overall shortstop prospects. Hes increased his power potential to an average level, but his size suggests he could be better than what the grades project when it comes to slugging. Hes one of the most exciting players to watch in the system. Theres a good chance that Peguero takes yet another step forward and starts the 2022 season at Double-A. While hed be extremely young for the level, Peguero has proven that hes good enough to play with the older kids.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: The Ascension of Liover Peguero - Rum Bunter