As the kind warmth of spring takes the place of greedy winter, many Furman students are taking part in the Poinsett Project. The glorious project was an initiative taken last year in an attempt to paint a mural on a Poinsett Highway building, and oversaw the successful construction (and afterwards deconstruction for removal) of a Habitat for Humanity house frame. Now while this doesn’t sound like much, I should also note that this provided hundreds of photo opportunities and feel good moments to show how much the green lavish kingdom of Furman cares for its lowly peasant surroundings.

People who worked the event didn’t only come away with some fuzzy warm feelings inside but also some terrific resume boosters that edged out those other uncaring applicants to law and medical school. So what could possibly make this year better? I’ve constructed a list of great tips to make the most out of your hour of hard wrought sacrificial charity.

Take Pictures: Preferably with Your New Digital Camera

As stated above, the Poinsett Project is a great chance to crank out some professional grade mementoes of your kind loving nature, so don’t forget to pack that two hundred dollar camera in your bag. This way you can snag some awesome snapshots with your buddies, as you work hard to drag that half-pound paintbrush across the wall in the searing seventy-degree weather. Afterwards you can mount the pictures on your wall to show off your work to neighbors. You can toss one of those bad boys up on your Facebook page to show us all how hard working you are. And if you’re really daring you can try to get in a picture with the homeless guy everyone else will be awkwardly ignoring. Just make sure to keep your hand on your wallet and a good foot and a half distance between the two of you. For the more artistic, you can even use forced-perspective to turn an elderly smelly hobo into a small child that you’re saving from the depths of poverty. Think how they shot the hobbits from The Lord of the Rings. You have now helped Frodo.

Concentrate on the Task at Hand (You Get That Free T-Shirt!)

Keep in mind that just because you are going to be busy painting and socializing with friends, you don’t have to let other members of the community slow you down. Last year several students were momentarily distracted from discussing fraternity gossip by an individual who had the nerve to ask what the project was about. Wisely the group told him they were too busy to talk and proceeded to look busy. Nothing can stop you from saving the community like being forced to actually interact with it. This is a good time to use earphones and crank some tunes or wear sunglasses to avoid eye contact.

Beauty, Beauty, Beauty

Let’s be honest. Poinsett looks pretty damn terrible, and it’s Furman’s job to turn it into the quaint, gorgeous, green-painted extension of our upper class bubble. Aside from its harsh exterior however, there is really no other problems that the greater Greenville area faces. While economic problems are devoid in the area, we must make Poinsett an acceptable location for Furman to be close to. So as we plan this second trip, and the obvious upcoming third visit next year, make sure to keep the project’s focus on beautification rather than aid towards hunger, medical problems and homelessness. As Furman Singer conductor Hugh Floyd so pertinently told us (not sarcastically at all) “Beauty, beauty, beauty”. This is the key to life.

Now of course we could always take groups to work at the soup kitchen to directly serve those less fortunate. We could volunteer at the Frazee center and become key helpers in the lives of underprivileged children. We could even build a Habitat house in the actual location it’s supposed to be to avoid having to take it down right after assembling it. But it is Furman’s job to give itself a terrific reputation and makes its surroundings more marketable for the campus itself. And we all know that behind every noble deed is the realization that we should be praised for it.