We all remember our younger years, when we played “house” with Barbie dolls, and spent entire afternoons brushing their hair and driving them in their red convertibles. Ahhh, those were the days when nothing mattered but what outfit you put Barbie in and whether or not she was dating Ken that week. Though those days have long since been over, I still feel that same old pressure to find myself a Ken and settle down in a “dreamhouse” of my very own. And Ladies, I may have just found you a real-world, in-the-flesh Ken here at UNI—and his name is Kyle Flickinger.
Admittedly, Kyle’s uncanny resemblance to Ken came to me upon watching a video created by some of UNI’s finest. In the video Kyle, was featured as the chiseled male Barbie we’ve all secretly wanted to pick us up in a hip sports car. Wherever my conclusion came from, I’m sure many of you’d agree. This cutie’s ripped body, blonde hair, and sweet personality not only made him a campus cutie, but also a Ken look-a-like.
Our cutie might not own a new red convertible, but Kyle’s many attributes clearly outshine even the shiniest of sports cars. Kyle, affectionately referred to as Flick by all of his friends, is a senior here (with one year left, lucky us!) at UNI studying Exercise Science. With his major, Flick hopes to work with a professional or college baseball team one day—his favorite sport.
In his spare time, Flick likes to do the usual guy thing: seek out adventure, lift weights, train for cross fit (a competitive fitness class), and throw bonfires—but there’s a lot more to this cutie than just muscles and the smell of bacon (the smell of real men, right?). He’s also a musician, and quite the homemaker as well.
Apart from hours spent at the Gym, Kyle is the drummer for a local hardcore band, Dividing the Masses, part of the worship team for Brothers and Sisters in Christ (BASIC), which is a Christian organization on campus, a member of The Good Life bible study, and an employee at Cedar Valley Community Support Services. On top of his already diverse repoitoire, this cutie admitted to enjoying the art of cooking—and even conceded to owning his grandmother’s secret Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, which he claims to be his favorite dessert.
Yes, I said it ladies—he actually enjoys cooking, and I have proof. One HerCampus reader was quoted, “Flick’s like the mother of the house. Not only does he mow and take care of the utilities, he also cooks and cleans.” If the fact that he is a drummer, is kind-hearted, and shares a strange resemblance to a plastic dream-doll didn’t win you over, his appreciation for cooking should have you tripping over your Barbie-styled stilettos to make it to his door.
Originally from Muscatine, IA, Kyle grew up with his mother, stepfather, and three older brothers. As his brothers were 13+ years older than him, Kyle recalls being the “pet” of the family. According to our cutie, his family has had a huge impact on his life—his mother in particular, “There were many years where it was just her and I—I remember her sacrificing so much in order to make it to my games on top of work”. Ladies, come what may—if someone says that about you one day, you have succeeded.
Though this cutie would undoubtedly make a great addition to any sports related team, he can’t help but dream big for his ideal career. Were he given the ability to do anything, Kyle would choose to tour with his band, Dividing the Masses.
The band itself started when the guys were in high school. To everyone in the band’s amazement, Dividing the Masses has made it a lot farther than they ever expected. In fact, when asked what he believed to be his greatest life accomplishment, Flick replied, “…I would consider the band to be a big one—we stuck it out.”
More than just a band, these guys remain best friends and have shared some great memories over the years. Whether it be seeing one of his band mates proposing to his now fiancé on-stage, forgetting how to play a song mid-set, or hearing people chant “Flick” at every show until he takes off his shirt (not kidding!), this cutie has seen some pretty good times come out of the band. Ones that he is sure to never forget.
In his ten-year plan, Flick hopes to have a family, with a couple of kids, and to be providing for them all. But who is going to attract the eye of this cutie, you ask? Not surprisingly, Kyle said nothing along the lines of “Plastic”, “Barbie”, nor “unrealistically beautiful”. Kyle instead pointed to authenticity with a side of confidence as a major selling point, “I don’t want her to feel like she has to impress me,” claimed our cutie.
Ladies, it seems to be a recurring theme: just be yourself. It appears to bode well with our cuties. Truth be told, Kyle’s best piece of advice for both the women and men of UNI dealt with just that, “Don’t be afraid to be who you really are. You have no one to impress.”
However, our cutie went further. More than just being yourself, you should also accept others for who they really are too. According to Kyle’s favorite verse, and life motto, “There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:12).”
I don’t know about all of you—but this verse slaps me in the face…hard. Day to day, we go around wishing for people to accept us—maybe even just to like us. So, why is it so hard for us to do the same for others? People may dress differently, they may believe differently, people may even live lives that you don’t agree with—but why respond to them with hatred? What is that doing? What is that showing them? And who are you to judge?
Ladies, however I may have begun this article, we are in fact not living in a Barbie world. Things aren’t perfect. They aren’t plastic. Life gets messy, and people don’t always do what you want them to do. Love them anyway.