Editor’s note: Tastemakers is a new column we’re trying out here at The Spectator where we give you, the readers, a glimpse into what we at The Spectator are interested in (fashion, music, pop culture, etc.) It also takes heavy inspiration from Perfectly Imperfect, a paid Substack with content in a similar format. 

This week, we’re peering into the mind of Chief Copy Editor Kyra Price. Price is a third-year psychology and public health major with an affinity for writing. She’s usually found digging through the two closets in her room for an outfit, doom-scrolling on some social media or sitting on the floor of her kitchen eating a snack.

Cargo pants: I spent nine years of my life wearing almost exclusively Catholic school attire. After escaping my private grade school, I wore leggings, a hoodie and Ugg boots for the first three years of high school. It was senior year when I finally began to figure out my own personal style.

I hopped on the cargo pants bandwagon a little bit late, but I’m so glad I did. It all started with a pair of cargos three sizes too big that I thrifted from Goodwill, and from there, my obsession has only gotten more intense. Intense is four pairs of cargos now, if that counts as intense. I wear them all the time though. I’m a big fan. Two of them are thrifted and two I got on sale at Hollister, but I love and appreciate all four pairs.

Spotify: I am an avid Spotify user. I managed a whopping 76,611 minutes of listening time this past year, according to my Spotify Wrapped. I didn’t get into music much until the end of high school, but once I finally caved and signed up for the three free months of Spotify Premium, I knew I could never go back.

I currently have 75 playlists I’ve made on Spotify, along with probably 20 more I’ve downloaded from other people. I keep a solid 10 in regular circulation, but my most commonly used are “current favs” and “to listen.” “Current favs” is exactly what it sounds like: the songs I currently can’t get enough of. “To listen” is a playlist of songs people have recommended that I’ve heard a little snippet of somewhere and other songs I thought looked interesting that I still need to take the time to fully appreciate.

Peppermint hot cocoa: I’ve never been a huge fan of mint outside of toothpaste, but for some reason, this all changes when the temperature hits 32 degrees. I try to stay away from caffeine, at least when it comes to espresso or energy drinks other than Bubbl’r, so this drink is perfect for me. It’s still special enough to go out and spend money on, and it really hits the spot on a chilly day.

I love finding a staple drink and trying it out at different local coffee shops, and every local coffee shop I’ve tried it at has nailed it. If I’m in a pinch, though, Caribou gets it right every time. Some places don’t add enough chocolate, or their peppermint syrup too closely resembles mouthwash, but Caribou has yet to mess it up.

Facebook Marketplace: I know this one’s a little weird. I can’t disagree with that. This obsession started in the past few weeks. I’ve been on the lookout for furniture and decor for my apartment next year, and I’d really rather not drain my entire savings account, but I also want to stay true to my own personal style. I started digging through Facebook Marketplace at 2 a.m. instead of sleeping, and it has not disappointed.

I’m leaning toward a retro vibe, and I saw a super cool checkered rug, a velvet couch and an oddly-shaped full-length mirror with a thick, white frame. I still have time before next year, and I don’t really have time right now to go on a road trip to collect these items, but if nothing else, they’ve given me a lot of inspiration. It’s a simple way to avoid spending gobs of money and give new life to old items instead of just letting them be thrown out.

Hummus: I basically lived off hummus growing up. My family started out basic but graduated to hummus flavors like everything bagel, olive tapenade and roasted garlic. Since my liberation from the dorms, and even more so, from Hilltop, I’ve been obsessed with dips. I get at least one every time I go grocery shopping, and I try to mix it up each time. At the beginning of the semester, though, one of my roommates brought home brownie-flavored dessert hummus, and it opened my eyes.

I visited Aldi not long after this experience for a basic grocery stock-up, and I found vanilla-flavored hummus. I tried it with sweet potato chips, and it was like eating cake batter. On my grocery shopping trip today, I brought home sugar cookie-flavored hummus. I have yet to try it, but I am beyond excited.

Price can be reached at [email protected].