By Elizabeth Diffin
When you first walk into Ivanhoe’s, you might stand in indecision, trying to pick one of the many flavors of shakes or sundaes. You want to make sure that you choose something good, but who can you ask? Has any Students Achieve Ivanhoe’s MilestoneTaylor student really eaten their way through the entire list of 100 flavors?
As a matter of fact, yes. During the past school year, two Taylorstudents, juniors Marci Klayder and Nathan Clark, have joined the ranks of Ivanhoe’s 100 Club.
Clark completed 100 sundaes in December and Klayder finished off 100 shakes in February — the quest took them a little over two years.
Klayder has always been the ambitious sort. When she was a child, her family decided to map out their church parking lot and park in a new spot every week. And she didn’t stop there; she has also eaten every one of the offerings from a sub shop in her hometown and is currently wading through a reading list of 100 “must-read” books for college students. She is also watching each of the American Film Institute’s Top 100 films.
“It’s what I’ve grown up with,” Klayder said. “I like to try a lot of different things.”
For Clark, the motive was a bit more basic. “I like ice cream,” he said with a smile. He added he likes the feeling of completing a task – it’s something he encourages others to do.
Neither Klayder nor Clark adhered to a specific schedule during their climb to the century mark. When possible, they bought the mini-sized offerings, and trips to the local eatery came at least once a week during the school year.
But the road did not come without potholes. Each confessed to not absolutely loving every offering they had. Klayder, who doesn’t like nuts, said her least favorite shakes were ones that contained pecans. However, her favorite was one of the simplest options, the “Chocolate Chip” shake.
And the financial crunch was not as significant as one might suspect. “It’s just a snack,” Klayder said. “It’s just one thing you do.”Clark pointed out that he doesn’t drink gourmet coffees or regularly eat out, so the money is about the same as what other students spend.
To reward their achievement, Ivanhoe’s engraved the students’ names on their 100 Club plaque and gave them free 100 Club tee-shirts. In spite of the volume of ice cream eaten, Klayder’s shirt was too large for her and now hangs in her room as decoration. “People are surprised because I am so small,” she confided.
According to Jessica Collins, a manager at Ivanhoe’s, the first person to complete the 100 Club did it in 1976. Since then, it has become an event, not just for Taylor students, but for the Uplandcommunity. “It’s really [meant] to get people excited about trying different options,” Collins said. “People in the community do it, and there’s a lot of competition between friends.”
Through their experience with the 100 Club, both Klayder and Clark have gained a greater appreciation for Ivanhoe’s. “It’s really good for your money,” Klayder said, adding that all of their products were fresh and not pre-packaged.
Clark, on the other hand, noticed something different about Ivanhoe’s. “I’ve been impressed with the system that Ivanhoe’s has in place,” he said. “On busy days, they can get … 300 people through in 30 minutes.”
So, were either Klayder or Clark ready to take a vacation from ice cream after their feat? Not at all. Each has continued to eat at the restaurant since joining the 100 Club. Although Klayder has tried a couple of sundaes, she is not planning to complete that list. Clarkhas gone the simpler route, opting for different flavors of ice cream in a waffle cone.
Both of them encourage other Taylor students to go for the 100 Club. “If [you] like ice cream, it’s a neat goal to have,” Clark said.