Waking up as early as 4:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning did not take away from the excitement that the Class of 2018 felt as they prepared to embark on their senior year Catalina trip on Sept. 16. Even before their journey had begun, students were already restless and excitedly chattering as they waited in front of Clark to board the buses. “I can’t wait to get to Catalina,” said senior Parely Tatevosian. “We’ve been looking forward to this trip since freshman year.”

Around 7:20 a.m., the 123 students and teachers going on the trip began boarding the three buses that would be taking them to the dock, paying careful attention to not be separated from their friends. After a long bus ride, the group finally arrived to the dock, where they boarded a ferry to take them to Avalon, a city on Catalina Island. “The boat ride was almost as much fun as the time we spent on the island,” said senior Joselyn Bille. “We were all spending time with our friends, enjoying the cool wind and the amazing view, and recreating the scene from Titanic of Jack holding Rose.”

Upon reaching the island, students quickly dispersed and began their adventures. Many were hungry after traveling for so long and decided to get breakfast the minute they set foot on the island. “I hadn’t eaten anything all day, so I was starving!” said senior Preny Tatevosian. “We went to eat at Original Jack’s Country Kitchen the second we got off the boat.”

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While on the island, students played mini golf, enjoyed games in the arcade, and went swimming  and kayaking in the ocean. Those looking for more adventurous activities went parasailing and enjoyed the bird’s-eye view of the beautiful island. “It was life-threateningly amazing,” said senior Parbi Mirzakhani about his parasailing experience. “I didn’t know which one was more amazing: the horizon or the ocean underneath.”

At the end of the day, ASB president Sofia Yeremian was extremely satisfied with the Catalina trip. “The Catalina trip went very, very well,” Yeremian said. “Everyone had a fantastic time, and I didn’t hear a single complaint. Even on our trip back from Long Beach, everyone was energetic and happy because they had such a good time on the trip.”