The famous “Certified Lover Boys” explained
As they parade through the school in their coordinated outfits, the HWH Club, otherwise known as the “Certified Lover Boys,” catch the eye of any student who happens to glance at them. Consisting of 11 members, this close-knit friend group goes above and beyond every homecoming week, flexing on the entire school community.
“We really are a versatile friend group because … we dress up for homecoming week, we play in a basketball team, we do fantasy football and basketball,” Jacob Zimmerman (11) said. “We really can do it all, and that’s not something you can get anywhere else. That’s why I’m glad to have these guys around me.”
Although all of the HWH members attended the same middle school, it was not until their freshman year of high school that they really connected.
“We all became friends at different times, but [the fantasy football club] was the first time we all united,” Joseph Lyons (11) said.
Their main way of communication is through their group chat, which they named “HWH Club.” This group chat was created to entertain themselves during their quarantined sophomore year. Unfortunately, the HWH Club will not disclose what the acronym “HWH” stands for, claiming it is “classified” information.
“As we all grew closer, our lives started to like tie into each other’s,” Errin Neal (11) said. “So, you know, it was kind of just easier [to text through a group chat] than texting everyone individually.”
Many large friend groups slowly fall apart, but the HWH Club has not lost any of its 11 members from its creation. One of the factors accounting for this is the deep level of communication exhibited by all the members to each other.
“I say that it truly is a blessing, simply because … a lot of people don’t have people in their life they can rely on as friends, and a lot of people have a lot of yes-men around them,” Neal said. “These guys tell me when I’m wrong and when I’m right.”
When they face challenges, the group embraces a level of maturity while figuring things out because in the end, they share a common goal: maintaining their cohesiveness.
“Well, you know, we all have like little arguments, and it can be petty stuff, and it can be really important stuff, but I think one thing that always keeps us together is that we all brothers, we all family,” Romero Laster (11) said. “Cause if anything, we [are] always going to squash that thing together.”
While their friendship is well-known throughout the school, they are most famous for the inventive, coordinating outfits they wear on the dress-up days for football homecoming and basketball homecoming.
“[During those days people come] up to us and [ask] for pictures and stuff,” Lamarius Robinson (11) said. “[People] recording us and screenshotting and posting our stuff [made us feel] like celebrities.”
Most people would think that deciding the idea to follow on each dress-up day might be difficult for such a large friend group, but in reality, the group efficiently makes the decision by considering every member’s opinions.
“Everybody [presented their ideas], and it was kind of like whatever we liked the most, we went with,” Robinson said.
One of the challenges the HWH Club battles is the time frame given by the school to prepare outfits for the dress-up days. Working on a short deadline, they do their best to come up with creative outfits.
“Ok, the fact that they release it on the weekend or the day before is really killing us,” Tamarcus Freeman (11) said. “Give us a week in advance, and we will make the best homecoming ever.”
Out of every dress-up day they have participated in, the Album Cover Day theme is their favorite. Each member mimicked one of the pregnant women featured on Drake’s album cover for “Certified Lover Boy,” which was a student body favorite.
“The entire mood, the memories and everything [of the Album Cover Day] … that whole day,” Laster said.
Not only did White Station students highly praise the group’s coordination on Album Cover Day, but also multiple students from other schools were delighted, posting pictures of them on their social media. As their fame spread throughout Memphis, the group finally felt their efforts recognized.
“We love it ‘cause it’s basically showing [that] us being us can … make people want to be around us,’” Robinson said. “It’s amazing.”
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