TTHHEE TTAATTTTOOOO BRISTOL PRESS MAKING A PERMANENT IMPRESSION SINCE 1994 VOLUME 8 No. 4 Bristol teen is homeless for the holidays By JACQUI MOREAU Besides being homeless, there is munity can help cheer up her holiday season. The Tattoo another obstacle in Jill’s life: Crohn’s Jill’s illness makes her uncomfortable in the disease. A severe intestinal disease, clothes that she currently has. Sweatpants and tee- Christmas. A time to sit by the fire, play in the Crohn’s causes Jill intense pain to shirts (she wears an extra large) would ease her snow, and listen to carolers passing by. Well, not the point that she feels unable to discomfort. She doesn’t have a winter coat — she many carolers are likely to stop by the homeless hold a steady job. Jill is currently see- loves Nike, but anything warm will do. A new coat shelter this season. ing doctors on a regular basis, and would make cold walks to doctors’ appointments Jill is only 17 years old, but has been faced with hopes to find an effective medica- or the store more tolerable for her. more challenges than many people do in their tion. In the meantime, Jill does not Jill loves art, and would appreciate some art entire lives. She’s lived with mother and younger attend school, and is in the process supplies, such as colored pencils and a drawing sister since her early childhood. It was always a of finding a tutor who will teach her pad. She could also make use of a gift certificate struggle to make ends meet, but a short time ago, at the shelter. to Strawberries to get some music for relaxation things took a turn for the worse. Jill and her fam- “At least we have a roof over our and pleasure. ily were evicted from their apartment — they were heads and we’re not outside in the Jill’s Christmas won’t be by the fireside, and $250 short of paying their rent. cold,” Jill said. “And we’ve got food in she probably won’t be drinking eggnog with After being hospitalized for severe alcohol poi- our stomachs.” friends and family. soning a couple years ago, she moved into a resi- She tries not to focus on the dis- But she could be drawing, listening to music, or dential treatment home, where she lived for an Joe Keo / The Tattoo tresses of the present, but instead on just plainly comfortable at the shelter, dreaming of extended amount of time. People at the home tion proved impractical. hopes for a happy future. Christmases to come. helped Jill curb her drug and alcohol use, as well Jill, her sister, and her mom now live at the “School is my main priority,” she said. “I only To give a gift to Jill -- or any of the teens pro- as learn conflict resolution techniques. Bristol Emergency Shelter, run by the Saint have one more year until I graduate.” filed in The Tattoo Christmas Presence program, She says she no longer has any interest in Vincent DePaul Society of Bristol. After high school, Jill hopes to work at a day- bring it to The Bristol Press at 99 Main St. during drinking or using drugs. They have 60 days, like other residents at the care and help her mother out financially. She loves regular business hours. “I’m almost 18,” she said. “I can’t do that stuff.” shelter, to find another place to live. Jill’s mom to be with children and enjoys the time she spends Checks can be made out to The Tattoo It was just after Jill returned home that the believes that she will secure an apartment for now with her church youth group. Christmas Presence and mailed to The Tattoo, c/o family received an eviction notice. At first they them within two weeks. This Christmas will not be the most merry one advisors Steve Collins or Jackie Majerus, P.O. Box moved in with friends, but eventually this situa- of Jill’s life, but there are many ways that the com- 483, Bristol, CT 06011. And thank you. College hoops: a Lyons: students are ‘pigs’ By MIKE NGUYEN When Lyons observed no change main source of food,” she added. The Tattoo in the eating habits of the “savages” Many others were less phased. at Eastern, he enforced the no-fries Sarah Messerli, another junior, During a recent home room peri- ration for the first lunch wave one said, “I don’t really care. I don’t real- od at Bristol Eastern High School, Monday. ly eat french fries. I don’t use them season of upsets Principal Everett Lyons sternly His reasoning, he told students as projectiles.” announced that he’s unhappy with over the intercom, was the first However awkward, she said she By T.J. O’CONNOR My long shot for the season is the the atrocious eating habits of the stu- lunch wave on the previous Friday agreed with Lyons’ decision. The Tattoo University of Minnesota Golden Gophers. dents at lunch. had kept throwing and trashing Luckily for the students at Three years ago the Gophers basketball He compared the student body to Eastern’s potato appetizers. Eastern, the french fries ban only It’s that time of year again, when the team was penalized by having scholar- a bunch of dirty pigs who should eat “It’s not fair because it’s not our lasted 20 minutes. pigskins are put away in the closet and ships taken away from them when former out of troughs and threatened to cut fault,” said Wendy Roman, a junior The next three lunch wave that the basketballs are taken out. head coach Clem Haskins let multiple off the “daily quota” of the school’s who was at first lunch, because Monday got a full lunch for their It’s the beginning of the college basket- players cheat on tests. Now that mass supply of french fries. block scheduling means the students money. ball season and for those die hard college Minnesota has regrouped and has a new French fries make up a large por- who trashed the cafeteria on Friday However, many still drive down a b-ball fans it is a new year for their teams. coach, they’re tion of the school’s regular hot lunch, were not the ones punished on few blocks to the local McDonalds Anything can happen in college athlet- ready to return to which costs $2.25, and are a staple Monday. for an equally satisfying lunch, ics — that’s what makes them so fun and where they were food for many students. “We all love french fries. It’s our french fries included. unique. We’ve already had indications in the mid ‘90s that this college basketball season is going when they were a to be like no other. high seed in the Seven of the top 10 preseason ranked tournament. For teams have lost. In the Maui Invitational, this to happen, Ball State, a small school in Indiana, the Golden upset fourth-ranked UCLA and fifth- Gophers will have to have big years from their big men, Michael Jason Williams Bauer and Dusty On the ball Rychart. Minnesota lost star player Terrance Simmons last year, but if every- thing goes right for the Golden Gophers ranked Kansas. Second-ranked Kentucky we might be shocked when we see them lost its opener to Western Kentucky, a in March. team that’s built around one player and one player only. Both Maryland (which made it to the The disappointments Final 4 last year) and Florida lost to a “re- I guarantee Michigan State will not grouping” Arizona team. Arizona wasn’t win the Big Ten Conference and that they even ranked in the “Top 25” before they will not be a number one seed in the beat the Terps and the mighty Gators. I NCAA Tournament. That’s right, you guess they aren’t so mighty after all. heard it here. The Spartans will be the The Duke Blue Devils seem to be the disappointment of the college basketball only team that played up to their poten- season. They were number 11 in the pre- tial in November. After Ball State season ranking and they’ve made it to the shocked the college basketball world with Final 4 the past three years, but not this their two upsets, they went for a third year. when they faced the Blue Devils in the The other disappointment of the sea- final of the Maui Classic. son will be the North Carolina Tar Heels. The sports experts were predicting The Heels embarrassed themselves at another Ball State miracle, but Coach K home early in the season with two loses wasn’t about to let that happen — he had to Indiana, Hampton and Davidson. UNC his team ready and they pounced on their will be lucky if it squeaks into the tour- less skilled and smaller opponent. nament as an 8 or 9 seed. College in the month of November has led many to believe that this year will be the The players season of upsets. Jason Williams probably won the Player of the Year award before the sea- son already started. He could have been a The shockers top 5 draft choice in the NBA but he This year more than any other there opted to stay at Duke for another year. will be teams that rise from the bottom Many have said that not only is he the and go to the “Big Dance.” best point guard in college basketball but We’ve already seen Arizona prove the that he is better than all of the point experts wrong.