Effect of Motivation on Employee Performance

Impact of Motivation on Employee Performance Section 1 Presentation 1.1 Background of the Study In todays serious world, worker is a significant advantage for each association. An association can't advance without workers. Nonetheless, the achievement of an association relies upon how the administration use their laborers capacities in accomplishing association objectives and targets. Workers should be propelled just as inspired to perform well and perform proficiently. As per Smith (n.d.), representatives who like where they work will enable the organization to get more cash-flow. Singes led a 800-store review that demonstrated the effect of worker mentalities on the main concern. At the point when worker mentalities improved by 5%, client satisfactionjumped 1.3%, therefore expanding income by one-a large portion of a rate point. Looking for approaches to persuade and manufacture laborer confidence delivers profits to any business or association. The persuaded laborer is increasingly dedicated to the activity and to the client. This shows glad representatives performed well wh ich builds the quality and amount of their work. Quite a while back, representatives were considered as only a contribution to the creation of good and administrations. Anyway as time passes by, along these lines of reasoning has changed the same number of studies has been done on the workers conduct and employment execution. A workers execution may influence the creation of the organization, from the quality to the amount of the items and administrations. This is the reason the administration must recognize the components influencing their laborers execution. An elite workforce is the most significant establishment for associations achievement regardless of how large or how little the association is. Occupation execution is the capacity and ability that a representative has in playing out the activity required by the business. The degree of execution by the worker is going to influence the associations objective and efficiency. Furthermore, workers execution may likewise be influenced by the administration of the organization, the activity itself or even the representatives own conduct. Great job execution gives extraordinary accomplishment to the association, congruity in the working environment and furthermore representatives self-achievement. Hence, to have a decent workforce and great worker execution, association should initially distinguish and comprehend the elements which influence the representatives work execution in accomplishing companys objective. 1.2 Research Problem For quite a long time, people have addressed and performed research on the variables influencing representatives work execution but then the appropriate responses may shift from each other. Some specialist said that workers execution is impacted by their compensation and some said they are definitely not. Representatives are an associations significant resource which is the reason acceptable exhibition by the workers is fundamental in creating great job quality and profitability. Representatives are the ones who are running the association for the benefit of the organization. They have the obligations to perform well for the organization so as to accomplish association objective and contend with different associations in a similar industry. Representatives are the person who plan, oversee, arrange and maintain the business exercises of an association. This implies poor representatives work execution may lessen the nature of administrations and efficiency which will in the long run hinder the activity of the association and lead to wastage of assets, for example, cash and time. Associations may discover approaches to take care of the issue by firing ineffectively performed workers or even decide to overlook it which may prompt fruitless business or chapter 11. By deciding to fire failed to meet expectations worker couldn't take care of the issue as time is expected to enlist new representative and additional cost will be brought about for preparing new worker. The board should discover ways that moves their laborers to perform well so as to accomplish associations objective and so as to completely use their assets. The board accepts that by paying workers more (increment of wages), representatives will in general perform better. Maybe it may be valid as per some analyst. Notwithstanding, there are likewise ongoing examinations that have indicated that workers inspirations are not exclusively influenced by pay. Hence, this exploration is completed to research the components that influence workers execution. This examination will endeavor to assess the impact of four factors which are inspiration, work duty, work plan and workplace. 1.3 Research Objectives The explanation behind this exploration is: To examine if inspiration has the noteworthy effect on representatives work execution. To research if work duty has the noteworthy effect on representatives work execution. To explore if work configuration has the critical effect on representatives work execution. To explore if workplace has the huge effect on representatives work execution. Occupation configuration is methods that are use in the activity configuration practice are, for example, work augmentation, work improvement, work turn and employment rearrangements. The workplace or working spot which a worker acts in, can influence their exhibition. Workplace can be isolated into two classes which are physical condition and social condition. The physical condition incorporates safe working spot with abundant assets and gear, for example, agreeable seat, lighting and so on while the social condition incorporates individuals that the representatives are working with in the association, for example, working partners or subordinates, administrators and so on. 1.4 Scope of the Study This exact examination comprises of needy and free factors. The needy variable is representatives work execution though the autonomous factors comprise of components that influence representatives work execution, for example, inspiration (pay, benefits, rewards, and so on), work responsibility, work structure and workplace. The populace for this investigation consider the representatives working in the assembling organizations in Penang and is arbitrarily chosen by utilizing accommodation inspecting technique. Polls will be disseminated to 150 workers. Surveys will at that point be gathered back and information will be broke down utilizing the relapse testing that is use to test the impacts of the autonomous factors onto the needy factors. 1.5 Significance of Study It is unequivocal that each association regardless of how large or little in size the organization is in the entire world needs individuals or representatives to work and deal with their organization. The hugeness of this examination is to research the four variables relationship with representatives work execution, as representatives work execution is significant in creating great job quality and most extreme efficiency. This examination is likewise basic to discover the impacts of the four components to the associations. An association is viewed as dead and can't work without laborers. All around performed workers may lead the association to progress and acquire upper hand over contenders while poor performed representatives may lead organization to disappointment and even chapter 11. Other than inadequately performed laborers causes deficiency in profitability which in a roundabout way squander organization assets. It may likewise make organization be vanquished by its opponent. Consequently this investigation will support chiefs and workers to see better the issue influencing their exhibition and decrease the negative impacts to the organization. Section 2 Writing RREVIEW 2.1 Introduction Nowadays, the business world is getting more testing than any time in recent memory. This builds the administrations mindfulness that great job execution is the key accomplishment to the association. To have very much performed workers, different ways or procedures ought to be directed to control people nature and requirements to deliver wanted practices and well execution. Thus, the principal thing the administration ought to do is to get human (representatives) needs and needs. Worker work execution is the capacity of representatives to perform successfully in their activity required and they have to have comprehension of finish and cutting-edge expected set of responsibilities for their position. Other than that, they likewise should know about the activity execution necessities and standard that they are relied upon to meet. Directors or the administration of the association should then audit their representatives expected set of responsibilities and execution prerequisites. Occupation execution can be looked into as far as in general productivity in the activity or regarding explicit parts that the activity settles. The reason for execution norms is to convey desires. A few administrators like to make them as explicit as could reasonably be expected, and some want to utilize them as ideas with the explicitness characterized in the conversation (University Human Resource Services, 2005). When all is said in done workers and bosses utilize the exhibition appraisal every year to summarize a general audit of how the activity has been done over the past a year, to distinguish whether authoritative objectives have been met, to recognize territories which require extra endeavors, and finally to distinguish the accomplishment and improvement objectives for the approaching year. Execution surveys normally occur yearly, however can be booked all the more oftentimes. Execution survey forms change contingent upon whether your arrangement is as ordered or expert staff. For arranged staff secured by a work contract, the agreement sets up the presentation audit process necessities (University of Washington, 2007). Individuals who are joining the work environment today are searching for occupations that procure cash, but at the same time are searching for additional open doors, for example, self-advancement. They are happy to invest more energy on their activity when their own needs, objectives, desire and wants are met. Hence, the administration of the association need to discover the variables influencing the representatives execution and think of methods to improve workers work execution. The executives should likewise ensure that representatives objectives are in accordance with associations destinations. As the world become more co

Needy Theory of Virginia Henderson Free Samples for Students

Question: Exhibit and Analysis of the Literature Specific to the Chosen Theory. Answer: Presentation Virginia was brought up in the Kansas City, Missouri, in the year 1963. She was known as the Modern-Day Mother of Nursing, and she procured the title of the Nightingale of current nursing. She joined the Army School of Nursing in 1921 at the Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. to seek after a confirmation in Nursing. After fruition of her school examines, she was assimilated to work at the Henry Street Visiting Service. She worked for a limit of two years following graduation, and later on, she continued to show nursing at the Norfolk Protestant Hospital in Virginia. In 1929, Virginia Henderson enlisted for a lone wolves degree at Teachers College at the Columbia University and graduated in 1932. All things considered, in a similar foundation, she graduated with an experts degree in the year 1934. She turned into a partner specialist at the Yale University School of Nursing in 1953(Boittin, Lagoutte, Lantz, 2002). Virginia was granted a few privileged doctoral degrees from vario us colleges like; the Catholic University of America, University of Western Ontario among numerous others. She passed on in 1996. In this article paper, I will clarify the explanations behind picking the scholar Virginia, examine her hypothesis and how it applies in the contemporary nursing practice. Purpose behind Choosing Virginia Henderson Virginia was a committed and decided researcher, who had made extraordinary miles in observing that nursing altered and modernized. Along these lines, known as a Mother-Day Modern Nursing. She demonstrated her enthusiasm for improving nursing through her difficult work. After her first recognition degree, she didn't simply unwind there since she got consumed following college. After a brief length of rehearsing she understood that more was required to be done so that later on nursing understudies don't think that its hard to relate hypothetical work with genuine field nursing practice. She continued to do her certificate and bosses. Virginia brought to presence The Need Theory dependent on the interrelationship among ideas and the genuine human needs(George, 2011). Additionally, I picked her since she stayed more often than not in improving the nature of nursing. For example, she revised the fourth version of Harmers exemplary reading material of nursing in 1939, and later she create d the fifth release and consolidated her own meaning of nursing in 1991. The Need Theory Virginia Henderson immovably held that her meaning of nursing was her Concept and worried on the importance of expanding the patients autonomy to guarantee that progress curtained in the wake of being admitted(Henderson, 1966). Besides, she felt free to partition nursing exercises into a sum of fourteen segments all of which fixated on the human needs. She gave an attendants job a depiction as a substitute, supplement and a supplement with the primary goal of helping the patient until she/he becomes independent(McEwen Wills, 2002). Virginia had characterized nursing as the one of a kind capacity which a medical caretaker does to help a person who is wiped out or well, or in the tranquil demise process. She felt free to recommend that the fourteen segments are basic to advance powerful mind in nursing. Among the fourteen components, the initial nine are physiological; the tenth and fourteenth are the mental parts of correspondence and learning process. At long last, the twelfth compon ent and thirteenth are both sociological and adjusted to the occupation and amusement. parts vital for powerful nursing care Ordinary relaxing. Take satisfactory suppers and beverages every day. End of body squanders. Development and support of attractive body wellness. Enough rest and rest. Reasonableness in garments. Support of the internal heat level in the conventional range through changes on the garments and natural alteration. Keeping the body spotless and very much prepped consistently and the integument ensured. Be cautious in the earth to keep away from risks and be aware of others not to harm them. Successful correspondence with others to share and express ones feelings, needs, the apprehensions or own suppositions. Opportunity of love according to ones confidence. Work towards achieving set objectives. Attempt recreational activities and exercises. Making advancements and innovations towards the solid turn of events and propelling wellbeing and the usage of accessible wellbeing assets. The Need Theory Assumptions The Need hypothesis which was created by Virginia maintains significant suspicions. Medical attendants assume an imperative job in the minding of patients until the patient recapture and be at the situation to deal with him/herself indeed. The entirety of the patients want to recover soon and continue their typical life. Medical caretakers show commitment towards improving the wellbeing state of the patient both day and night(Bradshaw, 1995). At long last, attendants ought to get a chance to embrace college concentrates in the two expressions and sciences. In the event that such open doors emerge, medical attendants will get a more extensive field of information which will help them to improve their nursing characteristics. For instance, if medical attendants are outfitted well with data innovation, they will be in a decent situation to share thoughts and ideas carefully, embrace modernized research and find any headways in nursing care from the whole world through the web. The Need Theory and the Four Key Concepts Virginia applied four ideas which comprehensively covers the Need Theory concerning the human needs. To begin with, she utilized the individual idea to think of the hypothesis. In the individual idea, she quickly features that she had essential needs, for example, that of dress, sanctuary, and food that are vital segments of good wellbeing. She felt free to express that as a person requires the principal needs and energetic help with the way toward getting great human services and independence(Virginia, 1997). She further contends that the body and brain can't be isolated and the two are interrelated from numerous points of view. She closes by saying that hypothesis sees the patient as a blend of parts with the natural, mental, sociological, and the profound needs. Thus, she utilized the ecological idea wherein individual lives and is encircled by different segments including families. She centers around the interrelations between an individual and the families. Moreover, she places into thought all the conditions both outer and interior that influences the lifestyles and, its development and development(Butts Rich, 2013). Quickly, she gives a conversation on the network sway on the relationship of a person with his/her relatives. She finishes up and expresses that a network significantly impacts the life of an individual through different ways, for example, good and backing, exhort, care and comfort during troublesome occasions. Moreover, Virginia applied the wellbeing idea in expounding how her hypothesis secured with respect to basic human needs. She focuses on that medical attendants ought to be at the bleeding edge driving wellbeing advancement battles and encouraging the majority to avoid potential risk, anticipation, and fix. She says that counteraction is superior to cure(Association, 2010). She finishes up on the idea by contending that great wellbeing ought to be a taken as a test which influences all individuals. Also, Virginia applied the idea of nursing which includes the arrangement of nursing care to a person who is feeble and incapable to play out the fourteen needs. She says that through nursing an individual is helped and given satisfactory help in meeting his/her life needs and playing out the exercises until the time he//she recovers freedom. Medical attendants help to cause the patient to feel like a total, entire or an autonomous person(Fulton, 1987). According to the idea, numerous desires are put on the medical caretaker to direct the doctors helpful center nursing care plan for a person. The medical caretaker is carefully required to have aptitudes and information in the act of nursing care according to the expert set of principles and nursing norms and morals. Highlights of The Need Theory The Need Theory has particular highlights which incorporate; the interrelation of bio-physiology, culture, and connection correspondence ideas for the central human needs. She had acquired every one of these ideas from various trains, for example, that of Maslows hypothesis. The meaning of nursing and parts presented by Virginia are very coherent, and all the fourteen components give an unmistakable rule to the individual and the attendant in accomplishing set goals(Thorne Hayes, 1996). The hypothesis is very straightforward and can be effectively summed up. Moreover, the methodology applies to the wellbeing of all people cutting over the various ages, race and social foundation. Likewise, the hypothesis shapes the reason for theories testing, aids the arrangement of expansive information and abilities inside the nursing discipline. At last, the hypothesis thoughts were completely acknowledged and actualized in the nursing practice. The Shortcomings of The Needy hypothesis The hypothesis neglects to show obviously the association between physiological highlights and the other human characteristics(Henderson V. , 1987). Furthermore, there is no understanding of the all encompassing nature of the individual. Besides, the suspicion put to organize the fourteen parts neglects to maintain its clearness. Virginia says that a medical caretaker helps the patient in the withering procedure yet she neglects to reveal how the attendant ought to do that, and furthermore, serene demise is only an inquisitive and a huge pretended by an attendant. To wrap things up, the hypothesis neglects to layout the between connections of elements and its impact in nursing care. Utilization of the Need Theory on the contemporary nursing practice In the present nursing practice, the Need hypothesis can be applied successfully for the improvement and rushing of the state of a patient in a medical clinic. For example, let us center around

Explain the Influence of Management Style on the Nature of the Employment Relationship Essay Example for Free

Clarify the Influence of Management Style on the Nature of the Employment Relationship Essay It generally a lot for the executives to perform successfully in an association, it is on the grounds that they are the ones that are consistently investigate by the individuals inside the organization. With the approaches and rules that they give for the workers with the end goal for them to accomplish their objective viably is the principle reflection on the administration style they execute and need to follow in the organization. That is the reason all together for an organization to succeed, the executives is consistently one of the principle key, since it gives a superior arrangement on tending to the fundamental issue of relationship just as approaches. What is significant for the administration is that, regardless and how they give their administration style in an association, it should have constructive yield for the two its kin and furthermore the partners. Or then again consistently figure out how to â€Å"strike the balance† between the two, in such a case that individuals in the association won't be given the correct consideration, it will be difficult for organization to get by, since these individuals are called as the â€Å"front liners† and the impression of these exhibition will without a doubt be thought about the administration they accommodate the client. Then again for the partners, they possibly individuals that would prefer not to find out about how individuals or staff manages their work, however more spotlight on the security of the organization, or just â€Å"bottom line†. Yet, so as to accomplish this there ought to be pioneer that must substitute front which will lead all these into the real world. They state that a decent pioneer is a decent mentor just as arbitrator; these individuals are a portion of the not very many individuals that realizes how to energize and give would like to individuals and convert them to be an advantage in the organization and rather than a danger. Since there are different directors who considers productive and viable individuals as danger, danger since they can toppled the administrator, since certain supervisors are not so exceptionally energetic and don't have any desire to challenge themselves, that is the reason most organizations advancement or progress are barely accomplish by these â€Å"power stumbling: chiefs who might not have any desire to see potential pioneers to be what they merit they can be, and inte4ad they be given test, they are either being disregarded or deserted. For best administrators or pioneers who truly give extraordinary impact in an association, they consider organization to be business, not account. This is the issue with some designated chiefs or supervisors that are simply being doled out without truly understanding the position well. All things considered administrators are not money related specialist, where the last works more on the best way to control costs yet investigate organizing how to expand deals and incomes. Chiefs overlook the way that they should lead and not generally center around the financials, in such a case that they center around the financials they ought not be director any longer, rather they ought to be working in the bookkeeping or account office. Another is that, administrators are in the organization to give activity and not simply exercise. They should likewise give network activity, an activity that would truly assist the organization with going to its most noteworthy potential and consistently harp on the best way to organizing the significant exercises that should be finished. For being an activity man or lady in the organization, it is likewise simple to discover regard from the association, since there is in every case difficult work appeared, and these gives incredible impact and in the long run will result to achievement in the business relationship inside the association. (Heller, R, 2007, standards. 4 and 9). Worker relations and hypothetical understanding In business connection to business connection, there are various sorts of hypothesis that is applied in an association. These are: (1) Unitary Theory, (2) Pluralist Theory, System, (4) Marxist, (5) Feminist, (6) Comparative, and (7) Postmodernism. For unitary hypothesis, it is the presence of a solitary arrangement or authority that is being practice inside the association. This kind of the executives hypothesis is known in the early years, where pioneers structure their own standard in the premise of what they believe is correct and individuals are generally not given the rights to repudiate or over principle the strategy or rule that was actualized. Traditional Pluralism, is anyway is considered as the type of the executives is incredibly impact by an electorate political gathering or any gathering that holds control over the general public. Their fundamental force is fortify by the belief system that originate from the network or cultural gathering and this type of the board style is all around bolstered since it is seen concerning the benefit of numerous and not simply from the gathering. Framework hypothesis centers is centering around the between disciplinary portrayal of field science, which is intricate nature of science, nature and science are the primary essential on this hypothesis. This additionally implies in each choice there is consistently a logical clarification which should be followed or followed. For Marxist hypothesis, its way of thinking predominantly centers around the different hypothesis that Karl Marx which is principally in the light of socialism, this hypothesis for the most part includes such various fields like, feel, morals, metaphysics, epistemology and the way of thinking of science too. This is made advance in the early severe and revolutionary period in Russia. On the hypothesis about Feminism, it likewise gives a wide assortment of order which for the most part centers around the normal philosophy of women’s job in legislative issues, and these include: human studies, human science, financial matters, ladies just as sexual orientation examines. This type of the executives takes care of on the principle worry of the more prominent ladies in the network which can be adequately being applied as the board inside the association. In conclusion, for the hypothesis about Postmodernism, which just shows that the greater part of the individuals here are extraordinary fun of chances, as here and there the activity preparing, as on account of a venture that will be in the end be begun since the legislature has apportioned a few thoughts in the association. These speculations have given diverse effect in the association since each hypothesis is applied fittingly in the organizations. It likewise gives an unmistakable rule concerning how individuals can be overseen successfully. Like take for example an organization that lies on the administration that they give, for instance an organization of frameworks advancement, which has given the position to give clients to take an interest access shaping and firming the administration principles and practices that the organization must utilized. For the last two speculations for the board practices, near and post-innovation, for the principal hypothesis, Cooperative hypothesis, this type of the executives, demonstrates enormous significance to the more noteworthy greater part of the individuals and these is brought out by the well community exertion appeared from the worker and the administration too. This likewise shows the board must play enormous consideration in their particular stores in a run of the mill â€Å"look and feel† of the association. (Hollinshead, Nicholls, and Tailby, 2003, pp. 9-41). The Importance of Collective Bargaining in an Organization For certain organizations tolerating the nearness of a Union isn't so very much acknowledged, on the grounds that for some administration it is only a wellspring of workers of pushing other solicitation that may even thrashing the principle vision or strategic the organization. Truth be told its primary goal is to give a superior arrangement of the necessities of the staffs and not simply raising a few needs, which may prompt negative outcome. Organizations or staffs must not generally investigate having an understanding that centers for representative pay or advantages as well as spotlight on some different concerns like security and help arrangement. This is on the grounds that most industry, most particularly fabricating organizations, consequently has an association and it gives a reasonable mandate on what the arrangement that must be followed and this procedure must be carefully be send and catch up clients. Aggregate bartering has it own procedure which assists the administration and the representatives association with following for better comprehension of its understanding. In Ireland, this procedure is framed in a way that compares likewise to the organization rules which is critical to have it increasingly grateful and very much regarded by the partner. (How Has Collective Bargaining Happen in Ireland, 2007).

Public Schools Vs. Home Schooling Essays - Education, Homeschooling

State funded Schools Vs. Self-teaching At the point when American's consider instruction, they naturally consider government funded training. During that time it is gradually evolving. Numerous guardians' today are choosing to self-teach their youngsters. Albeit the vast majority feel that a government funded instruction is better, most measurements and realities will in general show that self-teaching is gainful in more manners. It is evaluated that guardians are currently instructing more than 2,000,000 kids at home, as opposed to out in the open or even tuition based schools. Instruction in our state funded schools has been on the down incline for more than twenty years now. State funded schools have lost all qualities and scriptural profound quality. This was what our nation was established on and it has been supplanted with humanism. One case of humanism in our schools is that they show advancement, not creationism. A few people accept that this issue is going on in view of the evacuation of God and petition in state funded schools; the U.S. Incomparable Court did this in 1962. Starting in 1962, SAT scores plunged. Youngster pregnancies, teenager sexual maladies, adolescent suicides, high schooler liquor, medicate misuse, sex entertainment, and lack of education rates suddenly expanded 200 to 300 percent. Viciousness is one of the fundamental elements affecting are schools today. Assault is a developing issue among adolescents. An adolescent submits one out of each five assaults that happen in the United States. There is likewise a higher utilization of medications and liquor among kids in state funded schools. More than 80 percent of open secondary school understudies drink liquor and 45.7 percent have utilized pot. Medications and liquor make a great many people incredibly vicious. That is additionally on of the reasons why our viciousness and crime percentages are so high. More than a huge number of dollars are spend on the security of our Nation's state funded schools. The Seattle Times onc e stated, In Washington, D.C., medications and viciousness were such an issue in one grade school, that the chief prohibited customary break, and the kids are just permitted to play outside in a pit encased by eight-foot solid dividers, or on a little area of play area checked by the police. The disciplinary issues of kids as a rule start even before they arrive at government funded school. Over the most recent ten years, look into shows that babies brought up in childcare are increasingly inclined to conduct issues as little youngsters than their home-raised cousins. On the off chance that you keep your youngster at home from the beginning, you will have the option to teach and bring up your kids with the correct ethics. Since so much time is spend attempting to tidy up and guard our schools, we are pretty much falling behind in our instruction. American's are more remote behind in instructive status than nations, for example, Japan, Taiwan, and China. The instructors invest an exc essive amount of energy in the seemingly insignificant details and overlook the genuine motivation behind why the youngsters are there. That, however a portion of the reading material hold off base data and don't contain the entire story. A few reading material expressed that the nuclear bomb finished the Korean War (rather than World War II) and that lone 53,000, as opposed to 126,000 Americans, were slaughtered in World War I. One book sums up Abraham Lincoln's and George Washington's life in roughly six lines each. Not exclusively are an inappropriate things written in the course books, they train the youngsters wrong qualities. In government funded school course readings, marriage is never referenced as the establishment of the family, but then these books should be the course books that acquaint the youngster with a comprehension of American culture. Home tutoring began numerous years prior, however it truly started to prosper in the 1970's. For some individuals this was the ma in alternative, in light of the fact that either state funded schools needed or the schools were excessively far away for them to join in. In the current day, there are more than 2,000,000 youngsters being self-taught by their moms and fathers, over a fifteen percent ascend in self-teach understudies every year. A greater part of self-teach understudies are white working class families, however minorities are finding that this alternative is additionally preferred for their youngsters rather over the state funded schools. A portion of the primary elements guardians find from self-teaching are: the youngsters frequently become progressively free and increasingly mindful with their

Fancy Feast Happy People

Fancy Feast Happy People Chapter 1: A Formal Account of a Fancy Feast in February. Location: pika. Across the train tracks, just a few blocks into Cambridge, a big green house on Chestnut Street has a porch light on. This is pika, one of MITs independent living groups. Its a mixed house, home to an eclectic assortment of MIT undergrad, two cats, and a brood of hens. Every Friday night is Fancy Feast. The pikans eat together every night. There are always visitors: alumni, locals, students from Harvard, BU and Wellesley. Friday nights, anybodys welcome, and for the food and the company, its well worth the walk. Last nights Fancy Feast was elaborate. There was hot, rich spanakopita, Greek salad, eggplant. There were Dans hand-wrapped dolmas, golden puffs of fried and honey-soaked dough, and a hundred servings of baklava. Just try a little bit of everything, someone warned me, but I was heedlessly hungry, and by the time Id taken something from each dish, I had enough on my plate to feed all the chickens for a month. Afterwards, basking in the glow of good conversation and satiety, I talked about moving to pika. They say theres always a place at MIT, no matter who you are, that will make you really happy, my pikan friend (the author of that nights menu) told me, and you owe it to yourself to find that place. Even if youre already medium-happy. Im used to being surrounded by crazy people who love me. My home in Oregon was chaotic, noisy, and creative. Everybody does their own thing, every corner and tabletop has a project underway, the people are up for anything. Pikas like that. There are murals on the walls and a firemans pole from the fourth-story roofdeck. Theres a kite hanging from the ceiling and a piano anyone can play. Theres a painting that looks like an insect-alien right-side-up, and a man on a stool upside-down. There are introductions and candid moments. And theres a really cool map someboy painted of the fictional land from The Phantom Tollbooth, which my third grade teacher read aloud to the class, and a guy at pika read aloud in its entirety to an eager audience of like-minded housemates. Photo credits to Harini Suresh, the pretty painting girl in picture 2. Chapter 2. After dinner, we walked to Kendall Square Cinema to see Happy People: A Year in the Taiga.I loved it. I want my brother to see it, because I know hell love it too, but Im afraid that hell be too inspired to run off into the wilderness and live off fish and furry things caught in hand-built traps. Hes close enough to doing that already. Wise-sounding words from the movie, as I remember them: You can take almost anything away from a man. His health, wealth and suchlike. But not his craftsman skills. Once you learn a trade you always have your trade the rest of your life. WIthout moss and wedge to earn his bread, the carpenter would be long dead. Exposing the body [of a canoe] to heat makes the shape of the canoe permanent. I feel like all of those apply to MIT a little bit. The past few weeks here have been insane, for me and for my friends. Almost like being held over a fireIm crossing my fingers that its a part of the process, like the heat exposure step in canoe-making, and well all turn out stronger and finer for it. Post Tagged #pika