Clarke Central High School sophomore Deunte Oliphant stands in front of CCHS holding up the $adboyz signature hand motion, which signifies tears. The $adboyz are a friend group hoping to become Instagram famous. The group is often found roaming the halls at CCHS, and representing themselves with these hand gestures. “Really $adboyz is you being yourself, but you being different from everybody else. That is really $adboyz. Don’t be like everybody else, be your own style and your own way, because you are going to have haters regardless,” Oliphant said.
Update: The ODYSSEY Media Group will provide viewers with weekly stylized profiles that center on people in the Athens community telling their own stories.
By OLIVIA RIPPS – Print Writing Coach
At the start of Clarke Central high school, sophomore Deunte Oliphant and a number of his friends started a group called “$adboyz” in hopes of becoming known and spreading their idea that, “If you ain’t cryin’, you lyin’.”
Walking around Clarke Central High School, many groups of friends can be found, but “$adboyz” is like no other. $adboyz is a social group of sophomore boys that can often be found roaming the halls of school.
“We really just trying to be Instagram famous. We are trying to get known around school, because everybody is just happy and there is nothing like $adboyz in the whole state, the whole country or the whole world,” CCHS sophomore and $adboyz member Deunte Oliphant said.
When $adboyz began, Oliphant had the belief that people were “too happy.” With this being the case, many of his friends banded together to create $adboyz to spread more sadness and to be different than the rest of the CCHS population.
“We are big cry babies. Folks come to school everyday, ‘Like are you happy?’ I am not happy because I am different,” Oliphant said. “Because this is really why I made $adboyz — to be different from everyone else.”
Oliphant and the rest of $adboyz have made $adboyz an exclusive group in hopes of using them to spread sadness.
“That is why everybody is not in $adboyz. It is just a few people,” Oliphant said. “You know, they made a (group) called Happy Gang, but we are $adBoyz. In $adboyz it is just me, this boy named Que Echols, Jeffrey Blakely, Adorian, NaDarius, Retro, BroGod and Tay Lester.”
With $adboyz having the goal of being well-known throughout the school and Instagram famous, they share their signature message.
“I have a message … you aren’t sad enough,” Oliphant said. “If you ain’t cryin’, you lyin’.”
