Maintaining
Sovereignty.
Agency and alcohol. How to make sure you are always in control.
Why This Module Exists
Alcohol is the single largest factor in campus sexual assault. Not because drinking is wrong — but because alcohol systematically degrades every safety tool you have. This module is about maintaining Agency when social environments and substances converge.
Alcohol Degrades Your Instruments
Every drink reduces your Situational Awareness, increases Expectation Bias, and makes Unsafe Conditions harder to detect. Alcohol doesn't relax you — it unplugs your sensors.
Control Is Not Abstinence
This isn't about not drinking. It's about drinking with Agency — on your terms, within your limits, with your systems intact. Control means you choose. Losing control means someone else chooses for you.
Predators Target Women With Impaired Situational Awareness
Attackers do not target the woman with her guard up. They target the one whose Situational Awareness has dropped. Maintaining your Agency is your most powerful deterrent.
Your Personal Flight Rules
Non-negotiable protocols for social environments. Like a pre-flight checklist, these rules are not optional — they are the difference between a safe return and a crisis.
Set your limit before you arrive
Decide how many drinks you'll have before you walk through the door. Write it in your Notes app. This is your pre-flight plan — once you're airborne, it's too late to decide your fuel limit.
Never accept a drink you didn't watch being made
If you didn't see it poured, don't drink it. Period. A pilot never takes off without personally verifying the fuel quality. Neither should you.
Designate your co-pilot
Before going out, assign a friend as your co-pilot — someone who stays more sober and watches for unsafe conditions. Share your location with them. Pilots never fly alone; neither should you.
The 'Cockpit Scan' every 30 minutes
Every 30 minutes, do a mental check: How do I feel? Where am I? Who am I with? Where are my friends? Is my phone charged? Can I get home? If any answer concerns you — it's time to adjust.
Own your transport before you leave
Have your ride home locked in before you go out. Uber scheduled, friend confirmed, or keys in hand if you're not drinking. A pilot files the return flight plan before departure.
The 'Go / No-Go' Decision
Pilots have a firm Go / No-Go decision point before every flight. You should too. If your gut says something is off — leave. No explanation needed. No guilt. Your safety outranks social politeness.
Critical Advisory
At .08 BAC, your reaction time, judgment, and risk assessment are significantly impaired. At .12 BAC, your Situational Awareness is functionally offline. Every drink above your limit is not just a drink — it's a threat level escalation. Agency means knowing this and planning for it before the first sip.
"You don't have to stop having fun. You have to start having Agency. Control is not the opposite of freedom — it's a condition for it."
— Capt. Robert Polakoski