Campus death shocks U. community

When 26-year-old University alumnus Michael Tobin fell to his death behind the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house early on March 21, the entire University community felt the aftershocks. The 1994 College graduate, who friends remembered as a quiet but strong leader, was found dead by a fellow FIJI brother at about 6:30 a.m. behind the fraternity house the morning after an annual FIJI alumni dinner. The Philadelphia medical examiner ruled Tobin's death accidental after determining that Tobin died from multiple internal injuries and a fractured skull that he incurred when he fell down an outdoor cement stairway behind the FIJI house. After interviewing about 20 fraternity brothers and alumni who were in the FIJI house the night of the death, Philadelphia and University Police -- who worked together on the investigation -- determined that Tobin had been drinking with his fraternity brothers in the house and at various bars around campus since the previous afternoon, when he attended a lacrosse game. Police said Tobin's blood alcohol level was more than .20 -- about twice the legal limit for driving in most states. The fraternity brothers and alumni ended their Saturday night with a "social gathering" at the FIJI house, police said. Tobin was last seen by brothers at about 4 a.m. When police arrived at the scene after receiving the 911 call, they found empty and half-empty containers of alcohol throughout the first floor of the house. University Police Chief Maureen Rush said there were no immediate signs of other drugs in the house. The house was immediately declared a crime scene and all the brothers living in the house were assigned temporary housing by the University. Within weeks, the FIJI brothers voluntarily forfeited their charter amid ongoing investigations by both the University and the FIJI national chapter, ending the fraternity's 117-year history at Penn. The University held an on-campus memorial service for Tobin in addition to the family memorial service and funeral held on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. And the InterFraternity Council --Ethe umbrella organization for Penn's fraternities -- led a vigil in Tobin's honor on March 27 and cancelled an all-Greek mixer that had been previously planned for the following weekend in reaction to the tragedy. Tobin, who was survived by his parents and two younger brothers, was remembered as a gifted athlete with a strong ability to lead both on and off the field. "You'd be hard pressed to find someone with a bad word to say about him," former men's lacrosse coach G.W. Mix said. Following Tobin's death, the administration cracked down on underage and binge drinking at Penn, prompting an outcry from students who decried the lack of consultation before a temporary ban was implemented. Many also charged that the University was using the death of a man of legal drinking age to punish undergraduates.