Answering the Crowd with Kaitlyn Toy

Kaitlyn Toy is a member of the class of 2020, and is highly involved with her friends and her academic activities. Some of her favorite extracurricular activities include participating in the school Y-club, singing with the Mellowjackets and the Honeybees, and writing for The Jacket Journal. The following questions were given by friends and family members.

How much screen time have you built up over quarantine? Is it a lot compared to your usual amount?

Well according to my phone, my daily average this week was around seven hours. It got skewed a bit thanks to a certain day, so it’s more like 5 hours per day. However that’s just for my phone, so my total screen time is probably astronomical, especially since our schoolwork is online now. Let’s go for at least ten hours a day on average? I promise I go outside! I’ve just always been a bit of a homebody.

What is your favorite video game and why?

This is SO hard, because I have played so many games from preschool to now! It’s a tie between Pokemon Black and White and Fire Emblem Three Houses. If I really have to pick, I would go with Fire Emblem. The story is SUPER immersive, and despite having its fair share of plotholes and the like the characters alone make the whole thing amazing. Of course, I say this now but my answer could be entirely different tomorrow.

What is your proudest gamer moment?

I play a certain rhythm game called Cytus 2, it’s on mobile and I actually reviewed it on Toying with Games a while back! It’s been one of my favorite mobile games since it came out, but all of the songs have three difficulties. The hardest one, Chaos, can be extremely challenging. That’s why I’ll never forget when I got a perfect combo on one of the boss songs, “V.”, by Æsir. I practiced the Chaos chart for a long time, so I was super happy when I finally mastered it!

What plans do you have after high school?

I’m going to Northern Kentucky University to major in Media Informatics! My ultimate goal is to go into some kind of full-time journalism, but I really enjoyed writing stories online and focusing on more technical aspects that came along with that. I’m hoping the skills I pick up while studying allow me to elevate my stories to another level.

How has quarantine affected your everyday life?

In some ways, my life hasn’t changed at all. I still get to visit my dad, I still play video games, and I still spend time outside. However, I don’t get to see my friends at all. I didn’t realize how dependent I was on them until I became unable to see them. I have managed to expand my hobbies a bit though! Now I’m able to make some cool stuff using perler beads, and I’ve started trying out different kinds of photography. Quarantine has certainly been difficult, but that doesn’t mean it has to be entirely negative. 

What makes you smile?

Any time I’m around my friends, you’ll see a smile on my face. I very much value the time I get with them, as they always make me feel safe and welcome. I also love the feeling of getting a brand new video game I’ve been waiting for! I know I tend to smile a lot when I eat good food, too. A lot of times if I’m alone in the house, I can get caught up in my music and start jamming out in the kitchen. I guess I tend to appreciate smaller things!

What is your favorite music genre?

Lofi chillhop! Really any music will do, I just really prefer some more simple instrumentation. You can most often find that in chillhop music, but of course there are exceptions to that. There’s a song called Indigo by Niki; listening to that should give you a better idea of my preferred music!

How often do you eat pizza on average?

In a span of two weeks, I might have pizza once or twice. I like it, I just don’t eat it that often! I’m also a picky eater, so typically I just go for cheese.

If you got another cat, what kind of cat would you want? What would you name it?

It would be a british shorthair! I love the gray on their coats, and their cute little ears are to die for. Plus, their eyes are beautiful! Now while I hate to say this, the first name that came to mind was Breadloaf. I cannot explain that, nor will I try to.

What does love mean to you? Describe it.

To me, love is like a promise or a mutual agreement. If I’m willing to give my love to you, put effort into our friendship, etcetera, then I expect the same amount of effort from you in return. Maybe that’s why I don’t have as many friends as other people do, but I’m okay with that since I know for sure that I can count on them to be there.

What is your favorite restaurant in town? 

If I’m being limited strictly to Versailles, then I’d have to go with Versailles Brewing Company. I really like their VBC fries, plus I just have a lot of good memories with friends and family there. I also like to stop by The Amsden from time to time, but I don’t think that can count as a restaurant.

What is your favorite high school memory?

I have a lot of favorites, but one stands out in particular. I was in Mr. Tonks’ Com 205 class, and I think we must have been on an altered schedule for Channel 4 that day. While it played in the background, me and eight other people gathered around for an awesome game of Cards Against Humanity. Definitely not a school approved game, but I remember laughing so hard with everyone, both at the cards being played and at the Channel 4 broadcast. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that class.

What is your favorite memory in Woodford County?

My favorite memory happened at my friend Ginny’s house. After our friend group was a little more solidified, she decided to host “friendsmas” at her house, and we did a Secret Santa event along with snacks, games and the like. It was basically just a big Christmas party for our group. Technically, there was nothing out of the ordinary that occurred. I think I just love it so much since it was basically the start of a brand new tradition, and like I stated previously, any time with my friends is special to me. I’ll always cherish moments like that.