![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
If you are ever craving the “original” flavor of frozen yogurt, you may as well buy a tub of Pavel’s Yogurt from your local grocery store and freeze it¬–that is what the “original” selection at Ruby Yogurt, the shop across from the Upper School, tastes like.
Although the somewhat sour (although not tart and not sweet in the way of Pinkberry) original flavor is unfortunate, there are others among the 14 flavors that prove more tasty. We did not test the multiple fruit sorbet flavors, but they are worth investigating for those opposed to the cream base of normal yogurt.
The chocolate was the winner out of 5 randomly selected yogurt flavors; it tastes like a frozen Hershey’s kiss, each bite infused with authentic chocolate-ness instead of an artificial aftertaste.
Sweet coconut was also worth choosing, evoking the flavors of a Hawaiian luau contained within a 16-oz (or 32-oz) paper cup. It was light and reminiscent of a (virgin!) piña colada.
Strawberry was relatively pleasant, although it seemed artificial and similar to what you would be given in a Johnny Rocket’s milkshake¬–definitely tasty, but in no way mistakable for the flavor of a real strawberry. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
Finally, cookies and cream, if you closed your eyes, this flavor would taste like an excellent vanilla bean frozen yogurt. It has a hint of chocolate, and it is quite smooth and palatable, but with a thick brown color and no cookie flecks, we wonder what “cookies and cream” they used.
As for the toppings, they looked beautifully laid out, fresh, and varied. There were attractive fruits, cookie dough bits, dry cereal toppings, candies, sprinkles, and more. A surprising topping was the selection of three boba types: the small balls with mango, lychee, or strawberry juice pop in your mouth and deliver a burst of intense fruity flavor. We were very pleased with the lychee boba.
There are misses among the toppings as well; the chocolate chips and seeming Oreo cookie crumbs were both lacking flavor.
Overall, Ruby Yogurt is a shop with a lot of seating space and conveniently located right next to Burger King on Saratoga Avenue, and so it can be an easy pedestrian getaway for students craving yogurt on a sunny afternoon. Yogurt is also only 35 cents per ounce, which amounts to a good deal. Nevertheless, for students with cars, we suggest going the extra mile (or a few) to the Pinkberry on the Westgate plaza towards Highway 85 on Saratoga Avenue.
