It’s hard to know where to begin talking about the suicide of a student. Unfortunately, it happened here. Eric Dylan Jones took his own life, and the action is important to discuss.
So far, the Emerald has printed two rather different accounts of the events that unfolded March 1. Neither of them were witnessed by our reporters and neither of them have been confirmed by a court case; they are the words of people associated with the case.
One side, represented by Jones’ girlfriend — who says she was present for the incident — claims Jones was coming to the defense of his friends, threatened by intoxicated people. The other side, represented by football head coach Mike Bellotti and EPD spokeswoman Kerry Delf — neither of whom claim to have been present — say the attack appeared to be unprovoked or was a “‘sucker-punch’ type attack,” from Delf and Bellotti, respectively.
It is no one’s place — including our own — to pass some sort of ultimate judgment about the incident if they weren’t there. Everyone can sift through the available information, the past history of all the parties involved and try to figure out what’s right.
But surely this incident couldn’t have been the only thing that drove Jones to commit suicide. If he had turned himself in and mounted a defense with witnesses, what would the worst outcome have been? If his friends had come forward immediately with a different version of the story, couldn’t the public image of Jones have been spared, or at least countered? What if the press hadn’t found out Jones’ identity for a few more days? Might he have turned himself in and still be alive?
All of this is Sunday quarterbacking. Maybe things could have been different. Maybe Bellotti could have waited for a legal forum to make comments proclaiming the “truth” of the event, especially when no rebuttal was available. But of more concern, perhaps, is how this incident became the final straw in a young man’s life, and no one was able to stop it.
That is always the sadness of suicide, regardless of individual beliefs about its morality or about the worth of living in general. Those who loved the person wonder if they couldn’t have done something different, something to change his or her mind.
The community should take a moment and remind themselves of some of the myths about suicide. Here are a few, courtesy of the University of Oregon Crisis Center:
* Myth: People who talk about killing themselves rarely commit suicide.
Fact: Most people who commit suicide have given some verbal clues or warning of their intention.
* Myth: The suicidal person wants to die and feels that there is no turning back.
Fact: Suicidal people are usually ambivalent about dying and frequently will seek help immediately after attempting to harm themselves.
* Myth: If you ask someone about their suicidal intentions, you will only encourage them to kill themselves.
Fact: Actually the opposite is true. Asking someone directly about their suicidal intentions will often lower their anxiety level and act as a deterrent to suicidal behavior by encouraging the ventilation of pent-up emotions through a frank discussion of their problems.
* Myth: Suicidal people rarely seek medical attention.
Fact: Research has consistently shown that about 75 percent of suicidal people will visit a physician within the month before they kill themselves.
* Myth: Once someone attempts suicide, that person will always entertain thoughts of suicide.
Fact: Most people who are suicidal are so for only a very brief period once in their lives. If the person receives the proper support and assistance, he or she will probably never be suicidal again.
 
The bottom line: If friends show signs of needing help, be there. With information and assistance, anyone can help a loved one who is feeling suicidal. Plenty of resources are available right here on campus, starting with the Crisis Center. Their Web site is at http://www.uoregon.edu/~counsel/uocrisis.htm. A search of the Internet yields hundreds of sites devoted to suicide prevention resources.
If you feel in crisis now, call the Crisis Center at 346-4488 or Whitebird at 687-4000.