COLUMN: A year later, where are we?

From Jeremy Reiss', "Vegas, Baby," Fall '00 From Jeremy Reiss', "Vegas, Baby," Fall '00It was one year ago today that this campus was turned upside down. The issues of underage and binge drinking, both recurring problems at Penn, became magnified by a most unlikely incident. A 26-year-old alumnus was found dead, having fallen off a second-floor porch at the Phi Gamma Delta house after partying with fraternity brothers. There is also a reasonable chance alcohol had nothing to do with it. Maybe the former lacrosse player was trying to relive his athletic days too close to the railing. Maybe it was just a freak accident. But one thing remains clear from the incident. It was a terrible tragedy that caused this campus to stop and think about what it means when a Saturday night is so "fun" that it ends in casualty. For those of you who weren't on campus last spring, Tobin's death led to FIJI's removal from campus and a frenzy of preventative measures against drinking -- including a temporary ban on alcohol at student events. The student body was stirred into a wave of activism not seen in over a decade. Some students were angry their booze was being taken away because of an incident that did not involve an undergraduate. Others expressed vocal concern, not so much with the change in policy but with the administration's lack of consultation with the student body. And still others, stunned by Tobin's death, argued that if a 26-year-old man -- and not an 18-year-old pledge -- could die, there must be something wrong with the culture of drinking at Penn. A year later, while no one would say that binge drinking at Penn is no longer an issue, it's hard to dispute the fact that this campus is very different because of the incident. I still don't know how to judge Michael Tobin's death, nor do I know whom or what to blame. But no matter what factors actually caused the tragedy, dismissing it as an isolated incident does not do justice to its broader implications. What I do know is that his death was not an event that by itself transformed the party scene at the "social Ivy." Nor was it a singular indictment of our campus' Greek system either. Rather, it served as a sort of last straw in a series of incidents that led administrators to inch toward a crackdown against the Greek system, open parties and underage drinking. There were the frequent hospitalizations of students with alcohol poisoning. The rush violations. And then there were deaths at other schools, such as MIT. But even with a Greek system that was increasingly under attack and a culture increasingly seen as risky, it couldn't happen at Penn, we thought. And then it did. At the risk of bringing up some bitter memories, I don't blame the University for reacting the way it did. For Penn, the death was both a legal and public relations nightmare. To not "cover its ass" -- even if the increased risk was only a misperception -- would have been both irresponsible and plain stupid. As much as it would be nice to ask the students what they want before making any major policy decision, in extreme circumstances, the University must make command decisions to maintain its image and avoid legal problems. It is to the credit of all parties that administrators, along with a task force of students and faculty, were able to devise a new alcohol policy aimed at decreasing the chances of binge drinking-related accidents occurring. Certainly, if there is a positive to the sad saga of Michael Tobin, that is it. To some extent, the results are evident. The number of open fraternity parties has been reduced dramatically. And the amount of non-alcoholic programming on campus has greatly increased. But as for whether the changes are for the better -- whether fewer students will binge drink under the new guidelines -- the jury is still out. As someone of drinking age, it's hard to say whether this campus is now better or worse, safer or actually more prone to the risks of binge drinking. But one year after the tragedy that rocked our campus, we should once again stop and think about Michael Tobin. Remember that whether or not you think the policy changes were unfair and whether or not you believe the death was a product of Penn's drinking culture, such an accident can and did happen. And it can always happen again.