Remembering a departed friend

PRINCETON — For Jason Taylor, better known by his friends as Big J, Matt Stephens’ suicide last month was the final straw.

“This is the fifth young kid that I can remember in the past couple of years to take this way out,” Big J said. “I’m trying to bring that to light in this town and community.”

Stephens, 19, of Princeton, was found in the basement of his home about 11 p.m. on Sept. 15 by a friend. Toxicology reports came back negative, and the coroner’s jury ruled Stephens’ death a suicide, due to asphyxiation.

Big J, who graduated from Princeton High School in 2007, said all the suicides and deaths are “overwhelming.”

“I think to a big degree there’s just a sense of hopelessness overwhelming the youth of this community,” he said. “I don’t know why.”

Big J said the rash of suicides occurred after the first one happened a few years ago.

“I don’t know if kids just started thinking that was the only way out — an easy way out, an escape route — but I think it’s almost catching on like if you can’t handle it and there’s no one to talk to, it’s the kids’ escape routes,” he said.

Big J said schools shouldn’t be afraid that talking about suicide will give troubled youth the wrong ideas.

“I think they’ve seen enough,” he said. “I think they’ve witnessed it first hand, not only in my high school, when I was a senior, but in the high school nowadays, even in the elementary school.”

Big J said Princeton High School’s planned seminar on suicide at 6:30 p.m., Oct. 26, is a good thing.

“There should just be more counseling, more understanding with kids that are troubled,” he said. “You think of troubled teens or someone who’s a nuisance a lot of the time, and you just try to look the other way. You don’t want to help them.”

Big J played in a band with Stephens, which gave him the idea to hold Rocktoberfest 2009 Oct. 30. The event is a benefit for Stephens’ mother and will include live music, a cookout and a karaoke contest.