On Saturday, a sea of red and gold flooded Theodore Roosevelt High’s campus as more than 700 attendees came to celebrate the school’s 100th anniversary.
Alumni and current students adorned themselves in red and gold t-shirts, cardigans, jackets, and any attire that would single them out as proud Rough Riders.
Roselyn Coreas, Roosevelt’s current ASB President, said seeing alumni and current students made her happy and that she would miss the school once she graduates this year.
“I’m so sad I’m graduating soon, but I know I will continue to take what I learned here at Roosevelt to college. I love it here,” Coreas said.
The public school first opened its doors in 1923 and has gone on to become synonymous with Boyle Heights, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.
LAUSD first conceived the idea of opening a high school between 4th and 6th Street in 1921 and chose to name it after the 26th U.S. president, Theodore Roosevelt. The school’s team name, the Rough Riders, is the nickname of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, which Roosevelt was a part of during the Spanish-American War.
Principal Ben Gertner, who has been at Roosevelt since 2015, told Boyle Heights Beat he was thrilled to see such a large turnout. “I’m just feeling honored, proud, excited. It’s emotional to see this many people come out and see our alumni and students showcase their talents,” Gertner said.
Several Roosevelt class booths dotted the main walkway and alumni searched for their class to reconnect with old friends. Briana Ramirez, a Roosevelt math teacher and class of 2012 graduate, helped coordinate with the Roosevelt Alumni Association to ensure current students had a presence at the celebration by promoting their clubs, leading campus tours, and helping with set up.
“Our alumni are great and they talk about the history [of the school], but we also need to be thinking about the present as well as the future,” Ramirez said.
Roosevelt’s various bands performed throughout the six-hour event, filling the campus with music and fostering school spirit. The school marching band, wearing their matching maroon and black colored outfits modeled after the original Rough Rider uniforms, greeted guests at the front entrance with their rendition of the popular football band song “The Hey Song.”
Dozens of classic cars and lowriders were parked outside the school on 6th street as part of a car show organized by alumni Juan Romero. Other alumni took part in a “Dance of the Decades” showcase co-curated by alumna Virginia Childress. The showcase featured several alumni dancing to songs from the 1920s to the present day.
Lucy Armendariz, a class of 1988 graduate and Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, watched the dancing as famed Boyle Heights artist Robert Vargas crafted a portrait of her in real-time. Armendariz, who was also the keynote speaker, shared some anecdotes about how her time at Roosevelt High helped shape her into the person she is today.
At eight years old, Armendariz was placed into foster care after her mother was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for selling vast quantities of drugs.
She would move in and out of foster homes until she aged out of the system at 18 years old. Armendariz said she learned quickly that her various foster parents saw her as nothing more than a source of income, which made her value the mentorship she received at Roosevelt.
“When you find good people who can support you, anything is possible,” Armendariz said. “Roosevelt saved my life.”
