By Celia BURSTEIN

CV Weekly intern

On Nov. 14, two buses loaded with 120 Clark Magnet High School seniors took off to  the Long Beach Harbor, then onto a boat destined for Catalina Islandand the annual senior trip.

Seniors spent the day making use of the island’s arcade and mini-golf vouchers, as well as designing their own activities. “I feel this trip was important because it gave us a chance to be independent as seniors,” student Narineh Khanbabaei said. “They let us have some freedom, so we had a lot of fun.”

For some seniors, the mini-golf was the best part of the day, despite their admitted lack of skill. “We were playing hockey on the golf course,” said student Jackie Nazarian. Eva Tashchyan’s group, which ended up kicking the golf ball some of the time, created the word “failishment — a bit of failure with a touch of accomplishment” to describe their mini-golf experience.

Some enjoyed the island’s town, Avalon, in itself. “It’s a nice, quaint little town,” said senior Sara Delgado. “It’s really fun because you’re just walking for an hour and you see the whole place with really cute shops — and good burgers.” Others, though, found the activities limiting.

Nevertheless, at the end of the day, when the seniors started chanting “20- what? 2010!” on the way back to the ferry amid a staring crowd, most were grateful for the day of bonding. “During school, we’re all doing our own things — busy and stressed,” student Francesca Valencia said. “But this is an opportunity for us to hang out and bond.”