His normal workday began at 7 a.m. when Bob Aikey hands out daily assignments. Supplies are gathered, and the crews are off and running. Their roofing vans are stocked with repair materials to handle the various roof types on campus such as slate, rubber and white rubber, metal, and buildup, meaning tar and stone. A typical job might be fixing a leaking roof or removing frozen slush built up around a drain.  

Roofing crews also do some minor carpentry. When they find bad ends on rafters, they tear them out and replace or they may install new plywood under shingles. Roofing goes on 24/7 and even in the winter. "We often get called in for leak repair on the weekends. The worst time to get called in is during a football game. It can take 45 minutes to get to the job site because of traffic. I told the guys, I don't care if that roof is caving in, never call me during a football game again!" Joe Paterno always treated our crew well. Whenever we were near his office to check leaks he came out to talk and joke with us."   

There has been a big change in roofing material from black rubber to white rubber. The lighter shade reflects the summer heat and helps reduce the need for air conditioning. "When we put down black rubber at White Building, we placed a thermometer in our work area and it read 160 degrees! The trick is to take a few extra breaks and drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Our crew also makes good use of the OPP ice-making machine. We rarely ever find any shade, so we just learn to suck it up!"

Never Shave Your Head

Central Support Services once loaned two wage payroll workers to the roofing crew. "They shaved their heads. We told them not to do that. Their heads sunburned so badly, one kid had to be taken to the emergency room. When he came back to work, he always wore a big bandana!"

Beware the Slippery Slope (Slate)

The OPP approach to safety has changed for the better according to Jerry. "When I first started we would walk around on slippery slate roofing. We didn't have any safety gear. We just knew there are certain times you can walk on them and certain times you can't. We just kept an eye on other to make sure we didn't screw up."

It's a Smelly Job

"The worst smell we deal with is hot tar roofing, and the customers often complain. Even though we changed to a smokeless, smell-free kettle, we still have to deal with it. You're right there beside it, and it smells pretty rough."  

View from the Top

The highest roof on campus is Oswalt Tower (108'). "We always enjoy the view, especially on a clear day when you can see a way down the mountains. On the lower building rooftops, we find a lot of Frisbees, tennis balls, and basketballs. If they're in good shape, we just throw them back down. If they're beat up, my dog gets to chew on them."   

Fitness

You have to be in good shape physically to be a roofer, and Jerry's fitness program consisted of farming. He grew up on a dairy farm and milked cows every morning before coming to work. We never played sports because they were too busy farming. "I really appreciate the chance to be a roofer, but the wear and tear on your knees, back, and legs is tough. All of us old time roofers have to deal with our bodies wearing out from lifting heavy materials. I'd love to go to the gym, and once I get retired I might start doing that." 

Retirement Plans

"I love working at Physical Plant. I think it's great what Penn State does for the Special Olympics kids, the sports camps, and the FFA. When I retire, I want to come back and help some of these events. I also want to travel and see the rest of the United States. We plan to buy a new camper and zigzag across the country, maybe do some hunting in Colorado and Wyoming. My new wife likes to hunt and fish, too. She retired from OPP about two years ago. In fact, we met through OPP! I'm going to miss the guys I worked with for 30 some years. It's been my family away from home. All of Jeremy Smith's guys pretty much stick together, and you can count on my coming back to visit!"