Goodbye Chris at Flik

Michael Cully

Tragedy has struck. Chris from Flik is leaving us. And to make matters worse, he’s going to Mount Vernon. Cue the horrified gasps of astonishment and disappointment!

Many years ago, before Flik was included in the Galloway tuition, Chris had to sit at a desk in the middle of the Middle Learning commons to ring up every single lunch that students bought. That means that, with a year of practice, Chris knows the name and face of just about every student who walks through Flik’s doors.

Not only that, but he always makes a point to ask me about my day. We discuss the weather, our weekend plans, and our college football rivalry (he’s a diehard Auburn fan, and I root for UGA). Often times, I’ve had a long and stressful day, and Chris is the person who makes me feel better. I honestly feel like I have something to look forward to during the day.

Chris has been the glue that holds Flik together. My Flik experience is always great, regardless of whether lunch is mac and cheese or beef stew, just because Chris is there. I feel like a part of the quintessential Flik experience is chatting with Chris, and that’s going to be missing from now on. As Jaden Ellman so eloquently said in the seniors’ GroupMe, “I never thought of him as ‘Chris from Flik.’ I thought of Flik as ‘Food from Chris.’”

So, how do we move on? How do we cope with the loss we’ve suffered? Personally, I vote for a shrine to Chris. But really, in all seriousness, we should just remember all that Chris has done for us. He’s moving on to the next steps in his life; teaching PE and coaching the swim team at one of Atlanta’s top private schools. We should all be so proud and thrilled for him, and when he comes back to visit, I’m sure we’ll all be ecstatic to see him.