Ticket to Ride is amazing, and it won a ton of award s at gaming conventions everywhere. I love that game. I never really got into Settlers of Catan, but I've seen people really get into it on the negotiations part. I played Resistance once but haven't since, I really liked how I couldn't really trust anyone.
I was president of my high school games club.
Have you ever played Shadows over Camelot, cutthroat caverns, or Axis and Allies?