Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy
A Memoir
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
An account of sordidness and redemption by the Dartmouth fraternity member whose Rolling Stone profile blew the whistle on the frat's inhumane hazing practices.
Always trust the brotherhood.
Always protect your pledge brothers.
What happens in the house stays in the house.
Before attending Dartmouth, the worst thing Andrew Lohse had ever done was skip school to attend a John McCain rally. Growing up in suburban New Jersey, he was the typical American honor student: straight-As, on the lacrosse team, president of the Model U.N. He dreamed of following in his grandfather's footsteps and graduating from the Ivy League. When he arrived at Dartmouth, however, he found not the prestigious college of years past, but a wasteland of privilege and moral entropy. And when he rushed Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the fraternity that inspired the rival house in Animal House, Lohse's once-perfect life, as well as his goals, began to crumble around him.
Lured by free booze and friendly brothers, Andrew pledged Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and soon his life became a dangerous cycle of binge drinking and public humiliation. From chugging vinegar to swimming in a pool of human waste, Lohse's pledge class endured cruelty and psychological coercion in the hopes of obtaining a bid. Although Andrew succeeded in joining the fraternity, the pattern of abuse continued—except over time, he became the abuser.
Told by a contemporary Holden Caulfield, this is a shocking exposé of America's most exclusive institutions and a cautionary tale for modern times.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As a teenager, author Lohse stayed between the lines, finished his homework, and was president of his high school model U.N. The reward: admission to Dartmouth College. In his sophomore year, he did the expected and pledged a fraternity, undergoing a grueling initiation process that eventually led to a drug habit. After being ratted out by a fraternity brother for using cocaine, Lohse was arrested and suspended from Dartmouth for a year. The hazing chapters are the most vivid as Lohse submits to binge drinking, competitive vomiting, and bathing in human waste. Elsewhere, his dry humor and contemplative moments keep the pages turning. However, deeper emotions and complexities don't fully emerge. No one, not even his best friends and lovers, become recognizable, while the description of the book's central drama, the drug bust, seems implausible (perhaps for legal reasons). While Lohse sheds a clear light on the tribal stupidity of young men, his own turmoil is left underdeveloped.
Customer Reviews
Dartmouth Grad , class of '81
A powerful reflection on some of the sick antics some of my Dartmouth friends endured. The ratio when I attended was three boys to one girl. I loved my time at Dartmouth, but I know several who were swept up in the horrific hazing rituals. I also know of girls who were exploited on a crazy, surreal evening dubbed, "Hell Night".
This is one man's spiral into obliteration via drugs and alcohol. We all have a choice, and many can forego fraternity rituals and immerse themselves in the arts, academics, and sports. His account is accurate, but the antithesis of my Dartmouth years from 1977-1981.