When people think of a romantic movies, most automatically think of Nicholas Sparks’ popular love story, “The Notebook,” or the award-winning, “Titanic,” but there are some other romantic movies that people tend to forget.

First is “P.S. I Love You.”  This movie, originally a novel written by Cecelia Ahern, chronicles main character, Holly’s (Hilary Swank), struggle to move on after her husband (Gerard Butler) passes away.

Holly receives a series of letters that her husband arranged to have delivered after his death, all ending with the words “P.S. I Love You.”

These letters push Holly to move forward with her life and lead her on a series of adventures such as traveling to Ireland and facing her fear of singing karaoke.

These journeys allow Holly to slowly begin to figure out what she really wants out of life and they also help her to become open to love once again.

Senior Sara Buzzetto loves this movie and said, “This is definitely a tear-jerker, because it’s so incredibly touching how much Gerry loved Holly.”

Another great choice for Valentine’s Day viewing is the romantic drama,  “A Walk to Remember.”

In this movie, popular bad boy Landon Carter (Shane West) develops feelings for the quiet, unpopular Jaime Sullivan (Mandy Moore).

However, a heart-breaking secret puts their relationship to the test and allows the couple to come to understand the meaning of true love and fate.

An alternative to the romantic drama is a romantic comedy. A great choice from that category is “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days.”

“This is a great Valentine’s Day movie, because it’s entertaining for girls and guys,” said senior Thea Letteri. “A ton of my guy friends loved it!”

“How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days” tells the story of Benjamin Barry (Matthew McConaughey), who is an advertising executive and Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson), who writes for a popular magazine.

Barry is competing for a major advertising campaign and cuts a deal with his  competition in which they have to give him this account if he can make a woman of their choice fall in love with him.

The woman they choose is Anderson, who has been asked to write an article on how to lose a guy in ten days and she has picked Barry for this assignment.

This movie provides many laughs as each character tries to reach their goal, while at the same time slowly starting to have feelings for one another.

Another classic romantic movie choice for Valentine’s Day is “Casablanca.”

“This movie may be older, but it is still amazing,” said Letteri, who considers this to be one of her favorite films.

“Casablanca” takes place in the midst of World War II, where Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and Isla Lund (Ingrid Bergman) had shared a special love in Paris when Lund thought her husband had died.

When she discovered he was still alive, she left Rick abruptly to return to him, leaving Rick feeling hurt and betrayed.

Rick and Isla are unexpectedly forced back into each other’s lives, because Rick possesses letters of transit.

These letters are extremely important to Isla and her husband to help them leave the country, because he is a renowned Czech Resistance leader who has escaped from a Nazi concentration camp.

However, drama unfolds because possession of these letters was obtained illegally and the love that Rick and Isla shared cannot be forgotten.

Finally, for a movie that is not your typical romantic film, but still a great Valentine’s Day choice try “(500) Days of Summer.”

This off-beat romantic comedy follows Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) as he falls for his co-worker Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel).

The film depicts the ups and downs of relationships and in the end, shows that when someone finds their true love, there is no question about it.

“This movie is awesome because it’s realistic and the ending gives us all hope that things all happen for a reason,” said Buzzetto.

Other romantic choices include: “Ghost,” “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” “An Officer & a Gentlemen,” “50 First Dates,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “Nights in Rodanthe,” “Pearl Harbor” and “Sweet Home Alabama.”

According to The New York Times, Allergan, the company that has created Latisse, originally used the formula for glaucoma eye drops.  

Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve and impairs vision.  

As a side effect, Latisse tended to make the patient’s eyelashes longer and fuller due to the active ingredient bimatoprost. 

Research suggests that bimatoprost increases the percent of hairs in the growth phase.

 “I think a lot of my friends would use this because they wear fake lashes so often,” said senior Anna McGuire.

Allergan decided to market these drops as an eyelash lengthener, because of people’s desire for improved lashes.

Although the product is expensive ($120 for a monthly dose), analysts claim that there is a huge market for a product of its kind. Five billion dollars a year is spent on mascara worldwide.    

The Latisse Web site claims that you will see results in just four weeks and full results will occur in 12-16 weeks; but, like any routine, Latisse must be applied consistently for great results.   

“This treatment seems so appealing because many believe long and full lashes are pretty,” said senior Alyssa Spall. 

To ensure results, one drop of solution must be applied to the applicator, which should then be brushed along the inner part of the lash line to the outer part.  

Only the sterile applicators provided should be used for application and Latisse should not be applied to the lower eyelid. 

According to Dr. Jeffrey Poole,  his patients find Latisse advantageous. “My patients have been thrilled with Latisse, being both very effective and rapid in onset. I have had virtually no complaints from patients to date, beyond some occasional eyelid irritation,” he said. 

In a clinical study done by Allergan, 78 percent of participants experienced a significant increase in overall eyelash prominence in 16 weeks. In that study, eyelashes typically grew 25 percent longer, 106 percent thicker and 18 percent darker. 

“People would say to me ‘Are you wearing false eyelashes?’ Even my own mother asked,” said Cindy Ross, vice president for sales at Young Pharmaceuticals in Wethersfield, Conn., who participated in the Latisse clinical trial. 

However, the product takes time to work effectively, so the site recommends that its users have patience and don’t overuse the solution which may cause eye redness or itchiness.  Four percent of patients experienced this side effect in the initial trials.  

Latisse solution can also cause less common side effects, including skin darkening, increased brown iris pigmentation, eye irritation, dry eyes or redness of the eyelid.   

“The incidence of side effects, such as pigmentation of the eye or surrounding skin is exceptionally rare,” said Dr. Christine Brown.  “The most common side effect is redness, which is a transient problem. Latisse works well, especially under the supervision of a dermatologist.” 

It is also important to note that when this medication is stopped, the eyelashes will return back to the way they looked before using the product.  

Therefore, maintaining the Latisse treatment could get very pricey. 

“Having long lashes is great and I am always trying to find new mascaras to make my eye lashes look their absolute best,” said junior Gizelle Tohme. “A lengthener sounds superb, but I would not spend $120 on it.” 

However, there are products similar to Latisse that are within a college student’s budget.  

Some of the over-the-counter lash boosting serums are: RapidLash Eyelash and Eyebrow Renewal Serum ($44.00),  L’Oreal Renewal Lash Serum ($21.74), or Ardell Lash Growth Accelerator ($3.99).  

None of these serums require a prescription and can be found at local drugstores.

As with all products, everyone reacts differently to certain ingredients that may be used.  

If using any of the products discussed causes a change in vision or any type of negative eye reaction, one should immediately discontinue the use of the product and seek their doctor’s advice right away.

However, there are things everyone can do to stand out from the competition.

A new concept that is becoming increasingly popular is the idea of personal branding. In the same way that companies try to market and sell their brands, people should begin to do the same thing for themselves. It acts as another channel to increase the chances of getting hired.

Personal branding means that people need to promote the values, skills and expertise that they possess.

Professor David James, of the Henley School of Business in England, gave tips to CNN on how to go about creating a personal brand.

The first step is to figure out what your strengths are, so that you can establish a clear message about who you are and what you have to offer.

Next, figure out your goals and what you want to achieve, including the job you would like to have and how you want others to perceive you.

Finally, think about what audience you are trying to target with your message and how you can reach them.

Social networking sites have made this extremely easy, because people can promote themselves through their own personal blogs or on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. These sites can all help people to make key professional contacts.

James said, “If you work hard enough to make yourself good at what you do, then you have to tell people about it. Take command of the situation, know what you’re good at and shout it from the rafters.”

Personal branding can lead to landing interviews, but the key to a successful interview is doing research.

This means researching the company, the person that will be conducting the interview and most importantly, understanding what the employer is looking for in an applicant.

“If the candidate doesn’t know what the employer is looking for, [he or she] can’t properly communicate why they are the most qualified candidate for the position,” said Steven Rothberg, founder of CollegeRecruiter.com.

Barb Koeth of the John Carroll University Career Center said, “Good communication skills, proper business attire and proper follow-up also contribute to a candidate’s success in the interview process.”

In a study done by careerbuilder.com, they discovered the most common reasons employers hire employees. Beyond the basic job qualifications, perspective employers are looking for candidates with the ability to work well with others, to multi-task, to take initiative, and those with a strong online presence and creative thinking skills.

To show off these skills in an interview, one should be prepared with stories of how they have used them in previous work experiences.

For instance, junior Ashley Bauer, in an interview for a summer internship position,  let her future employer know about her organization, time-management skills and ability to work well with others.

She described how she was responsible for filling the casted audience sections that were shown on national television during the 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Bauer said, “I let them know how I worked together with multiple people to make sure the event ran smoothly and that each seat was filled.”

Lastly, be prepared for challenges on an interview, such as having to answer negative questions about yourself.

Rosalyn Platt, adviser for the JCU Career Center, said that when asked about negative traits, “Be honest about your weaknesses, but try to turn it around to something positive or something that you are actively working on improving.”

Therefore, a strong knowledge of how to market oneself coupled with extensive research about the job, company and culture, makes it much easier for people to stand out from the competition and land a great job.

As tempting as it may be to use this site as a reference because of its ease and wealth of information, these teachers might be right.

Wikipedia is a free, online encyclopedia that covers a wide variety of topics, but it allows anyone with Internet access to edit its pages.

The reality of this feature is that someone with a Ph.D. in biology could write an intellectual article on cell theory, and a 13-year old could go on later and “edit” that article, changing all the accurate information.

Thomas Pace, a professor of English at John Carroll University said, “Wikipedia does not specify who provided the information on their pages, so we as users do not know their credibility.”

Even Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, doesn’t believe students should be citing his creation.

In an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Wales said he has no sympathy for students who complain about Wikipedia getting them into trouble academically, because he thinks to himself, “For God sake, you’re in college; don’t cite the encyclopedia.”

If having Wikipedia’s founder telling students not to cite the page isn’t enough to influence people not to use it as a source, then maybe some of the top Wikipedia blunders will be more convincing.

An article on MSNBC presented the worst Wikipedia mistakes which included one stating that soccer star David Beckham was a Chinese goalkeeper in the 18th century.

Another slip-up said “The Tonight Show” host, Conan O’Brien, assaults sea turtles while canoeing.

Other Wikipedia errors included: a posting that singer Robbie Williams eats domestic pets in pubs for money and that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair worships Hitler.

However, these inaccuracies shouldn’t scare people away from using Wikipedia altogether.

There are some great ways to utilize this online encyclopedia for schoolwork without citing it in papers.

One way is to use it for background information.

Wales believes that if students are reading a novel that mentions the Battle of the Bulge for instance, they can use Wikipedia to get a quick, basic overview of that particular event to understand the context.

Pace agreed. He said, “Wikipedia can provide a launch pad for student research as long as the researcher is aware that some of the material may or may not be accurate.”

Another great way to utilize Wikipedia is to use the external links and references that are attached to the bottom of every article.

This can be a helpful way to find academic sources or other sites that may be able to assist students in their studies.

Senior, Stephanie Strano, said, “I use the external links on Wikipedia, because I know that my teachers will allow me to cite them and they really help me get started on my research.”

Wikipedia can be a great tool to help students figure out what combinations of keywords can get the best results in search engines.

By giving people a basic overview of a topic, they are introduced to different words and word combinations that they might not have thought of searching for before going to the site. The idea is to use Wikipedia to focus research and use it as a foundational base to begin research.

Administrators of Wikipedia are currently working on producing a fact sheet that professors could give to students explaining what Wikipedia is, and how to use it.

Through his excellent cinematography and devotion to the characters in the film, first-time producer and director, Kristopher Belman, was able to tell the story of LeBron James and his high school teammates in a compelling and unforgettable way.

“More Than A Game” chronicles the incredible seven-year journey that the “Fab Five” (LeBron James, Dru Joyce, Romeo Travis, Willie McGee and Sian Cotton) experienced individually and as a team.  

Watching the documentary, it’s easy to see that their strong bonds on and off the court are what helped this team from St. Vincent-St. Mary work their way to the top and win the National High School Championship in 2003.

The film’s structure was very well thought-out by Belman. Rather than focusing the movie on the NBA superstar, he took an in- depth look at each player from the Fab Five, as well as their coach, by delving into their personal lives with private interviews from family members, never-before-seen home videos and memorable photographs. 

Through rare behind-the-scenes practice footage and thrilling game footage, Belman was able to illustrate how each member grew athletically and personally over the years. 

 He was also able to highlight how each one of them truly contributed to the success of the team as a whole.  

This film is very well-balanced. It makes viewers laugh in some scenes, like when LeBron and his teammates rap on the buses to and from games. It keeps audience members on the edge of their seats as they watch the final minutes of crucial games.  

And finally, it touches hearts when adversities, such as James being suspended in his senior year, threaten the team’s hopes and dreams.Also, fans of James get to see a side of the King that they don’t normally see on the court. 

James doesn’t hold back in private one-on-one interviews where he describes his humble beginnings, his relationship with his mother and his appreciation for finding four lifelong friends.  

He is sincere and modest, even getting choked up at times, and viewers can see that he is truly thankful for where he is today. 

The movie doesn’t solely focus on the sport, but is a depiction of the power of friendship and loyalty.  

It also puts a huge emphasis on the importance of family and is an inspiration to people of all ages to pursue what they really love in life, even if it seems impossible.  

The documentary took first runner-up at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival, losing to “Slumdog Millionaire.” “More Than A Game” opens in New York,  Los Angeles, Cleveland and other select theaters Oct. 2, 2009.

It’s common for students to listen to music, be on social networking sites, watch TV and talk to friends on instant messenger  all while trying to complete their homework assignments.  The amount of time students spend engaging in these distracting activities is alarmingly high.  

Senior Nick Cannavino said, “I probably spend an average of two to five hours a day on the Internet, watching TV and playing video games.”   

However, according to a Stanford University study of 262 college undergraduates, people that multitask frequently are extremely bad at it.  

Through various activities performed by researchers in this study, results found that people who multitask are often unable to ignore irrelevant information. 

In fact, they are more easily distracted than those who multitask less, and they have a harder time switching from one task to another.  

The study also concluded that those participants who considered themselves to be good at multitasking in a pre-study survey, were found to be bad at it after running through the series of tests taken during the research.

These results were not what Clifford Nass, a professor at Stanford’s Communications Department, expected to find. “Is multitasking causing them to be lousy at multitasking, or is their lousiness at multitasking causing them to be multitaskers?” Nass said. “Is it born or learned?”

Sarah Van Slette, a professor in the Communications and Theatre Arts Department at John Carroll University, agrees with this result. “When I’m on my iPhone at home, answering students’ e-mails or planning meetings with people at all hours of the day and night, I’m distracted from things that really matter, like my husband and my home life,” said Van Slette. “I know that I am a better worker when I focus on one thing at a time.”

Online magazine’s Suite 101 Campus Life writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen, has some great tips for how to keep technology and our temptation to multitask from affecting our grades. 

 Rockler-Gladen offers students a list of ways in which they could better manage their time between school, work and things such as Facebook, MySpace and video games.

She also said that students can combat distractions such as TV and computer games with a couple simple steps.

Rockler-Gladen also said that cell phones can turn out to be extremely distracting to students, and that they must learn to fight the urge to text and talk while doing work.

Senior, Brikena Hajnaj, agrees. “I rarely even bring my phone to the library anymore, because I can’t concentrate when people keep calling and texting me,” she said.  

Rockler-Gladen thinks that students need to stay off instant messenger altogether while trying to complete homework assignments.   If someone really needs to get a hold of you, she suggests they e-mail you instead, which is much less distracting.  

So, the next time you are sitting in the library trying to get your homework done, as hard as it may be, the best way to stay focused and actually learn the material you’ve been assigned is to turn off your cell phone, pause your iPods, logout of Facebook, and center all your attention on the task you are trying to complete.