PIC 0: The titlecard with the words “Looking Out for a Friend” is displayed. The screen fades to Kacey again, appearing in an abstract background.
KACEY: So here’s the thing, we need to look out for each other. And while my friends always have each other’s backs, it’s especially important to step up when someone has too much to drink.
Like when I was talking to this guy Luka, while we were just sitting there, he fell out of his chair. Not passed out, fell out.
I couldn’t help but laugh, but I knew I had to do something.
I didn't know him that well, so I figured I’d delegate.
PIC 1: A full screen graphic appears with the title: “Delegate: Asking for help.” This continues to an image of three student images in yellow and a header that reads: “People to Delegate to:”
PIC 2: The text updates with the header: “If needed, a person with more resources:” and the following list:
PIC 3: Screen returns to Kacey.
I delegated to his friend Ben. He hadn’t been drinking, so I knew he was a good person to turn to for help.
Let’s be serious, you don’t have to solve everything yourself and there’s lots of reasons you might need or want backup.
PIC 4: Another full screen graphic appears. An image of a college student appears feeling sick on the floor with a spilled bottle of beer. Another image of a college student can be seen with his hands folded open and a question mark near his head looking confused. The title: “Delegating can be helpful when” appears with the following list:
PIC 5: Screen returns to Kacey.
Ben said it was probably best if they called it a night, so they walked home.
Ben stuck around in the lounge with Luka until he started sobering up. This was a good sign that Luka was okay.
But if things had gotten worse Ben would have delegated to an R.A. or got help.
I was really glad Ben was there to help out.
There was another time when things got, well, kinda scary.
This girl Kia had a lot to drink. She fell asleep and couldn’t be woken up.
Kia’s friends ended up calling an ambulance to take her to the hospital. It was terrifying. If they
hadn't she could have died.
If someone is passed out you need to immediately delegate to a person of authority. The same thing goes if you’re concerned about someone’s safety because they may have taken other drugs.
When it comes down to it, if you aren’t sure if they’re okay for any reason, delegating is always a good plan of action.
And, in hindsight, maybe if someone had been more direct with Kia and told her to stop, this whole thing could have been avoided.
PIC 6: A full screen definition appears: “Direct: Talk to the person at risk to see what they need and/or to let them know you are concerned.”
PIC 7: Screen returns to Kacey.
It can be hard sometimes to be direct. But remember you're doing it to help keep people safer.
After what happened with Kia, I started checking in with people.
It can be as simple as being honest. Not judging them, just seeing how they’re doing.
PIC 8: A full screen list of examples appear with the title: “Being Direct:”
PIC 9: Screen returns to Kacey.
Personally, I like when people are honest with me.
I really don’t like the feeling of losing control, and alcohol can sneak up on you sometimes.
So my friends and I help keep each other in check.
But I know some people who can get really upset if they feel like someone is being too direct. Especially when they’ve been drinking.
Or maybe you don’t know the person well, so you’re not sure what to say. I get it. Sometimes, it might be easier to distract them.
This is especially helpful when someone who's had a little too much is in a bad situation or about to hurt themselves or something.
PIC 10: A full screen definition appears: “Distract: Use a distraction or redirection to get the person at risk out of the situation.”
I’ve found that drunk people are usually pretty easy to distract, including myself. Like if you say to me “let's get pizza,” boom, I'm ready to go.
It's all about getting their mind off what they are doing and onto something else.
PIC 11: A full screen list of examples appear with the title: “To Distract you can say things like:”