Andy Oney - "Where are they now?"

Brother "Stonehead", fellow member of the pledges from hell, Fall 1987. Holy cow, has it been that long?

I met Andy for lunch in Myrtle Beach with his father. I hadn't met his dad before, but he said that he was visiting Erie the weekend that we pushed a giant boulder up the hill, so I am sure I had seen him... just not shook his hand. Andy's dad spends his winters in Myrtle Beach, and Andy has a timeshare, and is down often. A few years ago, Andy was visiting his dad, and heard my voice on the TV. He had no idea I was here doing weather, and his dad did not believe that he knew me. He called, but I was working that week, and unable to meet up.

Not much has changed with Stonehead. He is still working for Budwieser, and after a few lean years following the sale to a European company, business is booming again, and Andy feels that the New York brewery is going to keep on brewing that delicious lager.

I was trying to figure out the last time I saw Andy, and I think that I have not seen him since college. He did go to one of the reunions in Stone Valley, PA... but after some discussing, we figured out that it was the year that the lake was empty and everyone got their trucks stuck in the mud. I missed that year. It was great to see Andy, and we plan on getting together when he visits in October. I have his email and phone number. If anyone wants it, shoot me an email.

Anyone else coming to Myrtle Beach? I'd love to see you!

Scoli

Jeff Schenker - "Where are they now?"

I have been on vacation living a life of leisure for the last seven years. How is that possible? Before I started traveling, I asked myself the same thing.

It’s actually hard to believe as I sit down to write this that I have been out of college for eighteen years. When I think about what can happen in eighteen years, I recall that’s how old I was when I first walked into the “Skin House”. The rest was fate. A lot has happened since then and I have to say the last eighteen have been much more exciting than the first eighteen. Mathematically, I have spent 40% of my post university life on vacation, quasi-employed, or just plain screwing around. That’s just over seven years! So how does one live a life of leisure without being old and retired? It started like this.

I moved to Harrisburg in 1993 after being in the 5th graduating class in the relatively new Plastics Engineering Technology program at Behrend. Plastics are the future! The job thingy I had, however, was the most boring, unrewarding, unsatisfying, meaningless way to spend 8 to 12 hours a day… 5 days a week. But hey, it paid better than the furniture delivery job I had back in Erie and that’s all that mattered. Or did it? I lived for 5:00 PM and the weekends! Going out for lunch was my favorite part of the job… and I was good at it too!

Living in Harrisburg was fun. In the early years (those being the ‘90s), I regularly attended the Penn State games, SKN reunions, and countless weddings. I saw just about everyone who was coming around. The opportunities to go mountain biking and camping in the summer and skiing in the winter were endless. I bought two jetskis and spent one summer racing one of them in Maryland. I had a lot of cool stuff. But something was missing.

Then one day in the spring of 2001, I jumped on an amazing new opportunity at work. I got myself laid off from my crap engineering job! It was brilliant. With my severance check in hand, I threw my mountain bike in the back of my truck and spent the next two months driving around the USA. 11,000 miles later, I knew what had to be done. I would go back to Harrisburg, find another high paying miserable job and save my money with the discipline of a Buddhist monk.

Fast-forward to 2004. In March, I sold everything I owned, quit my job, and bought a backpack and one-way ticket to Mexico. What was supposed to be a 12 to 18 month trip around the world turned into a three year adventure only in Latin America. It took me over two years just to get to Argentina! The experiences were life changing to say the least. I speak a second language now (Spanish) and I am armed and dangerous in Portuguese. Give me a few months in Brazil again and I would be trilingual. I finally came home in 2007, three years and one day after leaving home.

I needed money. Thanks to some good luck and some help from Jim Schaffer, I scored a summer job at a fishing lodge in Alaska. This paid well and it only required four months of my time during the June to October fishing season. This job worked perfectly with my lifestyle; 4 months of work and 8 months off. I spent my off time between South East Asia and South America. Most recently, I just finished an 18 month contract working as a tour leader in Central America for Gap Adventures, an adventure tour company. I actually had a job that paid me to be on vacation. Job duties included sailing, snorkeling, repelling waterfalls, kayaking, white water rafting, laying on the beach, climbing volcanoes, exploring Mayan ruins, … and of course, going to lunch, a skill I honed well back in my engineering days.

So just where am I now? As I write this, I am freshly unemployed and sitting in a coffee shop in Nicaragua’s premier surfing village, San Juan del Sur. But I won’t be here for long. I am planning to visit family in California and Pennsylvania in July before my nomadic lifestyle continues. At the end of August, I will be sailing in the Greek Islands followed by a trip to India and Nepal. I have a travel blog I’ve maintained since 2004 and will keep updating it during the next set of adventures. Stay tuned. www.travelpod.com/members/jeffsadventures

Jeff Schenker

Jim Blawas - "Where are they now?"

Hi Frank!

Here is what I have been up to for the past 20 years. As most of you probably know, I didn't finish college at PSU. I had a great time at State College and the memories I have and friendships I've made are still so important to me. Keeping up with everyone has been something I could improve on greatly.

I started work after dropping out of PSU in State College and within a year, I had landed another job as an insurance claims adjuster in Lancaster. While there, I was able to hang out with Mike and April Habacker, Jeff Schenker, Todd Harpst, Tony Loriso and the McKenna boys.

After 3 years, I thought it would be cool to start my own business, as an independent claims adjuster. But I wanted to be back in Pittsburgh, so I packed up and moved back. After several months of floundering, I was offered a job at Allstate as a claims adjuster. I had some accounts and wish I would have stuck it out for a while to see where things may have gone. I took the job and have been working for Allstate as an Auto Physical Damage Appraiser ever since.

Within the first 3 months at my new job, my wife came through my door. Funny thing about it -- I had just made an oddly concious decision to stay single. I knew before she stepped out of the car. We dated for one year before I proposed and were married on May 9, 1998.

After 3 years we had our Kate who is now 9 years old. Eighteen months later, we had Hannah. Michael was born in 2005 and Matthew in 2008. I love my wife and kids with all my heart. If we're blessed with any new additions I'll let you know.

I finished my undergrad at Pitt (don't scowl) in Chemisty but haven't put it to any kind of use as I am still working as a claims adjuster. Last year, I started teaching some continuing education classes for collision repair professionals as a way to help me to be better at my job. I really enjoy it and think I might like to move into training and development some time soon.

My wife and I bought a home in Trafford, PA in 2000. When we were about to have Michael, my parents wanted to downsize and we needed to upsize. So we bought my mom and dads home from them. This is the house you came to for Thanksgiving that one year. We kept the house in Trafford and rent it out. We also partnered with my brother in a few other properties.

All in all, I wouldn't change a thing - except I think I would like to have kept in touch with people better than I have. I'm glad you are bringing this back Scoli. I think you may be the lynch pin that has held SKN together all these years and I'm so glad you are who you are. I hope to talk to you again soon.

Marcus Ronaldi - "Where are they now?"

After finishing 2nd in the 1993 Mayoral election I packed up my non-air conditioned car to Atlanta for a spell. After a while returned to Maryland where I got a job selling newspaper advertising which was a dying field even then so I went to graduate school in West Virginia.

In 1997 I got a job in California as the weather was far better. At this point Clay Robeson and Frank Johnson were part of one of the best practical jokes on me.

Last few years I have been in recruiting and sourcing including work with Cisco and Google. Feel free to send your resume to me (hydra1970@gmail.com)

When I started working at Google I was concerned that the complimentary Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner would make me as big as a house so I started running. Since then I have run 3300 miles and my goal is to run 1000 miles in 2011 (I am at 550) and 12400 miles by December of 2020. Raised money for Parkinsons and Team in Training.

For fun I do pub quiz at the bitter end and play kickball.

KDR Game 2004

Doc came across an old SKN/KDR football game picture. Of course, SKN won!

Tom Medovitch - "Where are they now?"

After college, I started up a Real Estate Financing firm and ran it for 5 years until the housing market pretty much tanked. I sold the company to another financial institution and decided to take a road less traveled and joined the U.S. Marine Corps. I just got off active orders last month and am now a member of the active reserves. I just started a job working at Westinghouse. Currently settled in Pittsburgh...hopefully for a long while, awaiting my units next deployment. Attached is a picture of me last fall in Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo, at our MOUT (Marine Operations in Urban Terrain) training facility.

Hope all is well,

Tom Medovitch

Bro Bland

Sp'00

Josh Tech - "Where are they Now?"

Hey Everyone, so I guess it is my turn to give you a little insight into what I have been up to over the past years, so here it goes.

Immediately after school, I worked for just over a year developing parts for some of the GM vehicles made in the Lordstown and Morain assembly plants. That allowed me to shortly thereafter get offered a job in SC working on exterior development for BMW. The X5, X6, and new X3 (the Z4 was, but has since moved back to Germany) are all built just outside of Greenville, SC which is where I primarily reside now. They are American made so feel free to pick one up!!!

I started as a production engineer, and now am currently responsible for the manufacturing engineering department that oversees development of the fender module, front fascia module, rear fascia module, and various other exterior plastic parts. Its has been a pretty rewarding experience; I have been able to travel all over (especially to Europe and Mexico many times), and to see your work driving around every day is pretty cool.

Those of you that remember me from college always knew I was always into "pimping" my car as we used to say LOL. Well, I also kept doing that but on a whole different level by specializing in high end cars and doing that as a side business. My personal cars have won almost every major award, and have actual won many national championships in different sanctioning organizations for the over past 6 years.

Other than that I am still into enjoying life......sometimes too much maybe as I am told on a regular basis. I live in Greenville during the week lets say, but spend the majority of my weekends in Charlotte, NC or Orlando, Fl; with frequent trips to Atlanta, Miami, and Las Vegas of course. Always have to be where the fun is or the beach of course.

In terms of other random things:

- My parents and my two youngest siblings still live in Erie, but I really don't get back to Erie more than once a year (usually for Christmas).

- Still somehow no kids to speak of (for which I am sure the world is thankful for). But definitely not from lack of practice :-)

- No pets either as they would probably die from neglect since I tend to leave for weeks at a time

- I have owned 11 high end cars since leaving school

- I finished up my masters (MBA) degree just over 3 years ago......keeping that in my back pocket for when I might need it some day

- And any crazy story that you might have heard is probably true LOL

If any of you have facebook feel free to look me up (simply search for Josh Tech) and keep in touch

Hope you all are doing well!!!!!

Josh Tech

Bro "Camel Toe"

Spring '97