Saturday night, students cuddled up on couches and mouthed the words to their favorite childhood movies on the second floor of the University Center. Canes Night Live, an event that had been planned as an outdoor movie screening, was moved indoors because of rain and cold weather.

“It would have been a lot better outside,” said freshman Christopher Nolte. “But at least the movies they picked were good.”

It would have been a dream come true for any kid who grew up in the 1980s to be able to watch the Princess Bride and the Breakfast Club drive-in style on the commencement green. But the event, sponsored by Hurricane Productions and the Office of the President, fell short of its promise thanks to wet grass and chilly weather.

Instead, the event was moved to the upstairs at the UC, and Canes Night Live did not prove to be a total disappointment after all. The UC’s comfortable couches, giant movie screen and booming sound system provided the perfect movie atmosphere so students could come to in their pajamas. As they curled up on the couches with blankets, they were provided free popcorn, chips and soda.

“It was pretty fun,” said freshman Krysty Rego. “It reminded me of a slumber party.”

An event that could have proven to be a total disaster was saved not by comfy couches or a killer sound system, but by the actual movies that were played. In other words, these movies could have been played on an 18-inch TV in a classroom, and the event still would have been good.

The Princess Bride is the classic tale of a princess and her true love. Throw in pirates, comedy and Fred Savage, and you have a definite crowd-pleaser. The second movie shown was Brat Pack classic The Breakfast Club, the story of five high school students representing different social groups all sentenced to a Saturday in detention. Though they hardly ever leave the library, they learn valuable lessons about themselves and each other. As students walked away dragging their blankets with Simple Minds’ Don’t you forget about me ringing in their heads, one thing was obvious. In the simplest terms and most convenient definitions: Molly Ringwald saved the day.

Some people claim that college students are lazy and will do anything to lighten their workload. I say that college students are time management experts, searching endlessly for quicker ways to get the job done. Many of these savvy students have discovered online resources to help them with research papers, projects, and literary analysis.
It is for the benefit of my enterprising fellow students that I have, with the help of my roommates and other students, compiled the following list. Here, in no particular order, are the most useful, time-saving sites and a few words about what makes them so great:

1. Spark Notes
(www.sparknotes.com)
This site is organized quite well, making it easy to find what you need. Here you can peruse countless literary works complete with summaries and analysis. Their database is comprehensive, ensuring that you will find information on whichever piece you are looking for. While a free membership guarantees complete access to the site, the majority of the site’s resources are available without divulging your name or e-mail address.

2. Pink Monkey
(www.pinkmonkey.com)
More than just a catchy name, this site is run by Yahoo! and offers a good variety of free online guides for term papers and various research topics. If you prefer a printable version, it will cost you ($4 to $5). Beyond study guides, the site also offers test prep resources, college planning information, and even several online games.
3. Cheat Books
(www.cheatbooks.com)
This site offers the famous Cliffs Notes study guides as well as several other similar brands like MAX Notes and Barron’s Book Notes. The site is run by Amazon.com and is unique in that it offers used and new guides. While the guides are not free, they are reasonably priced for the college student’s budget (from $.09 used to $3.55 new).
4. Set For Study
(www.setforstudy.co.uk)
This British site has the most professional layout of the bunch, and is arguably the most extensive as well. It offers academic resources from around the world, including university databases from the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. While it is the slowest to load of any of these sites, it does offer a free membership with access to the entire network of databases.
5. Google
(www.google.com)
While these sites are indeed quite useful and could save a lot of time for anyone working on an English paper, my personal favorite resource is this search engine. It is the most powerful engine I have used and it has never left me unsatisfied, academically. Just type a keyword or two into the search field, hit return and watch the results pour in.
The only caveat of this site and the aforementioned others is this: If the average college student can find what they need online, so can the average college professor- which means that your profs can tell if you’ve lifted any text or passages directly from an online resource.
However, knowing that students are not looking to cut corners in their work, rather they are merely striving to maximize the little time they have, I am confident that many will find these sites invaluable as a boon to the quality of life.

Once again proving his box office gusto, Denzel Washington’s new drama John Q took charge at movie theaters and debuted with a strong $20.6 million, an almost identical opening to his last film Training Day, which pulled in $22.6 last October. Britney Spears’ Crossroads arrived at number two with a profitable $14.6, and probably solidified more feature films in her future. In accordance with Oscar nomination dominance, A Beautiful Mind and Fellowship of the Ring both saw their totals jump from the prior weekend, to totals of $124.7 million and $277.9 million respectively.

Stephen and Julian Marley were arrested for marijuana possession after police in Tallahassee, Fla. pulled over their Mercedes-Benz for speeding and smelled a strong aroma of marijuana upon approaching the vehicle. After performing a search, police found a total of eight large joints and cigarette rolling papers. The brothers were charged and posted bail shortly after.

J to tha oh-no. Jennifer Lopez’s new remix album J to tha L-O debuted at the top of the album charts, selling 156,000 copies in its first week. According to her record label it is the first remix album in history to reach number one. Everything else on the chart remained stagnant, with releases by Alan Jackson and Barry Manilow taking the next two spots and Nas’s Stillmatic exiting the top 10 after a lengthy run.

After a string of flops, Jim Carrey is considering the semi-serious Bruce Almighty as his next film. Carrey would play a man whose constant condemnation of God backfires when the “Almighty One” forces him to takeover his holy duties for a day.

Marion “Suge” Knight’s vengeful comments at the recent West Coast Hip Hop Summit in Beverly Hills have generated as much press as the summit itself. The meeting, organized by Def Jam founder Russell Simmons to discuss the use of violent lyrics and the overall direction of rap music, reportedly ran amuck when Knight was asked to speak and began criticizing musicians ranging from Eminem to Janet Jackson. What reportedly took most attendees off guard was Knight’s blatant proclamation that women are naturally inferior and lack the ability to become sufficient leaders.

It’s been said before, and I’ll say it again: Calling Cirque du Soleil “just a circus” is analogous to calling the Sistine Chapel “just a little old church.” With acts that range from the deeply philosophical to the intensely erotic to the profoundly non-sensical, Cirque du Soleil’s “Quidam” is not merely a show-it is a two-hour journey of the senses into a land of child-like magic.

The word quidam is Latin for a faceless passerby: a person in a multitude, who, somehow, still has his own identity. The entire spectacle circles on this theme: how to find and keep one’s sense of wonder and individuality in a jaded crowd.

Never resorting to tired and used gags (save for the three dirty, old Italian men who play the clowns), “Quidam” serves up wonder after wonder. The opening act, for example, involves a man inside a giant hamster wheel who seemingly defies every rule of gravity known to man. Trapeze artists performing with hula hoops somehow fit three of their number into a single hoop.

The most affecting number, however, was a rope-suspended contortionist-or alternatively, the most graceful dancer to ever perform while entangled on two long sheets of red fabric. One’s mind repeatedly shouts: “The human body is not meant to bend that way!” Yet the performer continually does, and makes it look easy. With a buff-colored costume that makes her look as if she is nude and her movements within her red cocoon, this act is beautiful in its eroticism and sensuality.

There was also a jump-rope performance. It never occurred to me that jump rope might be a circus act, but after watching a dozen people jump a dozen ropes in unison, while moving in a circle, and doing summersaults between each skip, the point has been more than proven.

The aforementioned clowns also deserve special attention. Though they do use every old gag in the book-repeatedly-they manage to reinvent them and make them their own. They pop balloons, push each other around, make fart jokes, squirt water, and somehow make it all seem like this is the first time this has ever been done. Plus, they dress in tights and tutus. How can they go wrong?

The great acts are not enough to create the famous Cirque du Soleil magic, however-it comes from the music, the song, and the apparently superfluous characters that hang around in the back: A headless quidam who offers his hat to a little girl; a scary clown with boxing gloves; various dancers and suspended, flying figures all add a touch of dream-like surrealism to complete the show.

The big yellow and blue top houses an astounding 2,500 spectators, while still maintaining a very cozy, intimate feel-all without sacrificing anyone’s view of the stage. With over 50 performers of 10 different nationalities, “Quidam” brings the wonder to those who thought life was dull once again.

“Quidam” and its big top will be at Bicentennial park until March 10. For info, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

It was back in 1994 when the San Diego based punk rock band Unwritten Law first set foot on a South Florida stage. Soon after the release of three low-key albums on a string of independent labels, the band went looking to spread its name to a broader, equally welcoming audience and quickly found it.

Despite the glory associated with their leap from just another struggling punk band to that of well-rounded musicians, Unwritten Law has not forgotten the vital jolt that they received on their first Florida tour date. “Florida gave us a boost in 1994,” said guitarist Steve Morris. “We love everyone here and we owe Florida lots of gratitude. It’s where we got our start.”

While touring in the mid 1990s, the band’s catchy pop-punk fell upon eager ears craving precisely that sound and won over hundreds of east coasters. Channeling this rare, powerful word-of-mouth buzz, the band jumped in the studio and found moderate success with a re-recording of Blue Room on the distinguished major label, Epic Records. From there, a 1998 self-titled release was snatched up by another major label, Interscope Records, whose considerable knowledge with promotions helped the band kindle enormous success with a homegrown feeling. So it is not a surprise that new tracks from their latest album, Elva (released in January 2002), have snagged airtime on MTV and alternative radio stations around the country.

Unwritten Law took the stage at Pompano Beach’s Millennium last Friday night and greeted the lively crowd with a warmth and liveliness not typically exhibited by today’s bands. The slew of 16-year-olds did not forget to return the favor, and as sweat began to drench the packed crowd, reminiscent thoughts of those rainy middle school mornings on stuffy school buses began to emerge. From the get-go it was obvious who made up the majority of Unwritten Law’s immediate fan base, as throngs of adolescent boys and girls opened their metal-filled mouths and loudly belted out every lyric.

Though on tour to promote Elva, the band didn’t hesitate to dip into older material, opening with the hit tracks Teenage Suicide and Sorry from their self-titled release. Although tracks from their two latest releases dominated the set list, fans of older albums were treated to nostalgic tracks such as Falling Down and CPK. The band even showed off their musical repertoire with a solid cover of The Clash’s Guns of Brixton.

As might be expected, the younger show openers Standstill and Sugarcult failed to energize the crowd in the same fashion as Unwritten Law. When the Santa Barbara-based Sugarcult performed songs like Stuck in America and How Does It Feel from their debut album Start Static, most of the crowd seemed to pick up on the band’s knack for making ironic jokes about drug abuse underneath their sugar-coated style. Sugarcult is sure to gain wide promotion for their new album with the 17 shows scheduled during their cross-country trek with Unwritten Law.

After exhausting their set list, Unwritten Law seemed worn out. It was as if Florida and its exhilarated fans had unleashed some sort of energy-draining power. “After we play here, we always have to take a week off,” said guitarist Rob Brewer. Fine, just as long as the band doesn’t need a prolonged vacation from churning out consistently fervent pop-punk records.

The first thing you’ll notice may well be the attorneys, hastily making their exit after a long day of prosecuting or defending suspects at downtown’s South Florida District courthouse cordoned by thick orange barricades.

Then again, if you arrive a little later, lingerie displayed on Nicks’s family clothing store across the street might be the eye-catcher – everything from leopard panties, silver glittering thongs to less revealing grandmotherly designs.

Once you’re done underwear window-shopping, take a few steps to the right until you’re standing under the blue awning. Ring the doorbell and wait for the buzz. Push the door, and you’re inside the Wallflower Gallery – nowhere near conventional downtown Miami.

Don’t let the name fool you.

“It’s not really the gallery,” says Flash, who declined to give me the name on his birth certificate. “Flash,” he says,” is my real name.”

Really?

“Flash is all you need.”

I’d be tempted to label him as the manager of the place, except the 31-year-old made it clear that manager is too stale a word to describe his duties.

“I’m the funk-finder,” says Flash rather matter-of-factly.

Which means?

“I find the funk.”

Of course.

It’s not really a coffeehouse, although they do serve coffee.

It’s not really a club either, though there’s usually live music Friday and Saturday nights. Cigarettes and booze are out of the question.

“It’s a very joining place,” says Flash. “An oasis.”

Oasis or not, it’s certainly one of the best-kept secrets in the heart of one of the country’s most troubled downtown’s.

Funk in this context roughly means local talent. Flash has spent the past three years of his life browsing though aspiring artists’ work and boosting careers by showcasing their work on the walls of the gallery, the airwaves of the space that housed a law firm five years ago and the racks and shelves in the back rooms.

Currently on display in the main room, is an exhibit by French-born, Peruvian-raised, American citizen photographer Monique Pineda.

“Doors and Windows” is the theme of her latest work, a varied collection of snaps of entrances and gaps on walls from all corners of the globe.

“Doors,” says one of the two poems she wrote to go along with the compilation, “shields of winds and rains, that seal secrets and laments.”

Photography is all about lighting to the 64-year-old artist, who has been living in California for the past 37 years.

Indeed, shadows steal the spotlight in “Doors and Windows,” where panes of an elegant home in the French countryside contrast sharply with a snapshot of a rusty gate in rural Peru. Not a sole human being sneaked into “Doors and Windows,” although people are Pineda’s favorite subject.

Her trick to capturing the perfect picture, whether at cemeteries, funerals or bus stations is waiting.

“You need to wait for the perfect angle at the right time of day,” she explains. “If you don’t catch it then and there – it’s gone.”

Her trick to brilliant portraits is not letting subjects model- not an easy job in Peruvian marketplaces, one of her favorite backdrops for portraits.

“The problem with people at marketplaces, is they pose,” she noted, explaining she often befriends locals, purchases whatever they’re selling, and then captures them in more spontaneous scenarios.

The weirdest thing she got herself into for art’s sake?

“I ended up eating boiled frogs,” she confesses with a streak of laughter.

Nope, it’s not a metaphor, nor a joke. It was an invitation by a Peruvian family she was photographing and felt embarrassed to decline. Pineda figured the fact that they were boiled would kill any strain of cholera, and after all was said and done, her final thought was: “They were rather spicy.”

Pineda’s work will be displayed through March 9th.

Other reasons to visit Wallflower galleries include artists closer to home, including performances by UM’s Big Party, Dean Fields and Active Ingredient.

There’s a vast amount of underrated and under-appreciated talent in South Florida, said Flash, who is constantly devising marketing strategies to keep art profitable.

Another popular event at the Wallflower is Ploppy’s podium, an open mic night, where aspiring poets and singers take center stage while the audience snuggles in the old cozy furniture that surrounds the main room.

For a complete rundown of events, exhibits and directions log onto www.wallflowergallery.com, and you’ll learn more about the downtown hub devoted to making art accessible to people.

“The talent is out there, our job is to connect it,” were the last words out of Flash.