CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Have you ever heard the saying, “Once a Buc, always a Buc?” Westside Neighborhood News reporter Naidy Escobar caught up with Bertha Romero, a former student who still exudes her purple-and-gold pride 60 years later.
Romero graduated from Roy Miller High School in 1964 and said she is the historian of her class. She has a scrapbook full of memorabilia from that time.
Naidy Escobar
As she turned and flipped through the pages, Romero was asked what came to mind, and she replied, “What comes to mind? The good times we had at Miller High School.”
Sixty years have passed since she graduated and she said she now understands the importance of being a historian.
“It’s important to preserve the history of the school and all our memories. Miller was a very well-known school back then,” Romero said.
According to Romero, Roy Miller High School and Ray High School were the only two high schools in all of Corpus Christi. She attended Miller High School during segregation. She said she remembers the high school always being very unified.
“There was a time in Corpus Christi when there were only two schools, Ray and Miller, and those were the rivals, and the game was played on Thanksgiving Day in the Exchange,” she said. “And I want you to know that the whole west side was against the south side, and everything here was purple and gold, everything!”
She added that game days are always a good time and that Miller vs. Ray High School is always the game of the year. Romero remembers going to every game, she was part of the band and to this day is proud of her Bucs.
The traditions are so deep in her family that 10 of her children attended Miller School and were all part of the band. She had three daughters who were also part of the cheerleading team. Romero has 32 grandchildren and three of them graduated and also played for the Bucs.
She said it feels good to know that she shares that love and pride with her family.
“You know, I think every game takes us back to our childhood, and I think the kids need to know that we are there for them and that the community loves them,” she said.
Romero has helped keep many memories alive, and although her health hasn’t been the best lately, she’s ready for a great season.
She hopes to perhaps be able to bring the scrap book to the city archives, but for now she is holding it back for a while.
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