The Stepstool Analogy: Balancing Belonging, Rights of Passage, and Prestige in Student Organizations
In student organizations, especially within fraternities, sororities, athletic teams, and other peer groups, creating a strong, supportive culture is essential. But what happens when good intentions evolve into harmful traditions? Dr. Jamison Keller, a longtime campus administrator and speaker, offers a powerful metaphor to explain how this evolution can occur: the stepstool analogy.
The Three Legs of Student Culture
Imagine a stepstool with three legs. For the stool to function properly and safely support someone, each leg must be of equal length, strength, and placement. In the context of student groups, those three legs are:
- Belonging: The emotional need to feel accepted and included within a community.
- Rites of Passage: Symbolic or ceremonial actions that mark a transition or achievement within a group.
- Prestige: The perceived status or respect associated with being part of a respected organization.
Each of these components, on their own, can be incredibly positive and formative. Together, when balanced, they support a thriving and healthy organization. But when one or more are out of alignment, they can become the foundation for problematic—and even dangerous—traditions.
When One Leg Falters
As a first-generation student, Dr. Keller was eager to succeed and initially avoided social involvement. But the natural desire to belong drew him into a student organization. There, during a retreat designed to promote bonding, he unknowingly became part of a hazing ritual masked as a rite of passage.
He was tricked into consuming an entire bottle of alcohol, praised for his “achievement,” and labeled with a nickname that followed him around campus. This moment, meant to build inclusion, actually blurred the lines between support and harm. And later, as a leader himself, he unknowingly repeated the cycle until a tragic event forced a reckoning.
The Culture Doesn’t Start with One Night
Hazing and risky behaviors rarely emerge in a vacuum. Often, they begin with small, seemingly harmless actions that gradually build over time. He describes a “snowball effect”: a minor initiation, like making new members use the back door, slowly morphs over the years into more elaborate and dangerous rituals.
Without intentional checks and balances, the culture shifts subtly but significantly. What starts as an effort to foster unity and identity can unintentionally prioritize conformity, exclusion, or even harm.
Rebuilding the Stepstool
To counteract this, Keller urges student leaders, advisors, and administrators to regularly examine the balance of their organizational culture:
- Is our sense of belonging inclusive and authentic?
- Are our rites of passage meaningful, safe, and celebratory?
- Does our prestige come from our values and contributions, not just exclusivity?
This type of reflection can help rebuild a strong foundation—one where students thrive, feel seen, and develop lifelong leadership skills.
Why It Matters
At CAMPUSPEAK, we believe prevention and transformation begin with awareness. Dr. Keller’s stepstool analogy provides a clear, memorable framework for understanding the dynamics that drive student behavior and organizational culture. It challenges us to ask: Are we building a stepstool that supports, or one that collapses under pressure?
By educating students on the difference between positive tradition and harmful expectation, we empower them to shape cultures rooted in dignity, purpose, and real connection.
Let’s give them a sturdy foundation to stand on.