Friday, March 31. 2000 The University Daily Kansan Section A ยท Page 3 KU student is coping with effects of robbery By Mindie Miller writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer Heidi hasn't been sleeping well since Monday morning. She can't stop thinking about the man who held a knife to her chest in a Kansas City parking lot and demanded money. "It would happen over again every time I started drifting off to sleep," said the 23-year-old University of Kansas student. Early Monday morning, Heidi, who requested that her last name not be used, left Lawrence for her internship at a hospital in Kansas City. Mo. She stopped at Hypermart USA near Bannister Mall before work. She was walking to her vehicle about 7:40 a.m. when a man sprung up from behind a car with a knife. TIPS "It looked like some kind of army What to do if you are being robbed. Comply with the robber's demands Do not go any- where with the robber Get a good description of the robber the robber Do not be aggressive Walk or run away if possible Source: Lawrence Police Department knee, she said. "It was long. It wasn't touching me, but it was really close so he could have reached forward and stabbed me." Heidi threw $50 on the ground near the man, who snatched the cash, hopped in the car with another man and sped off before she could memorize the license plate number. "I usually don't have more than $2 cash," Heidi said. "I was glad I had the money." Sgt. George Wheeler of the Lawrence Police Department said she did the right thing by not putting up a fight. "What we tell people is to comply with the demands of the robber," he said. "That's for your own safety. Give them the money. The money isn't worth your being injured or worse." But Wheeler offered a restriction to this advice. "Don't let them take you anywhere," he said. He said the victim should try to walk or run away but should avoid being aggressive. Wheeler said Lawrence had seen a slight decrease in reported robberies during the past three years. From 1997 to 1998, the number dropped from 70 to 69. There were 66 in 1999. He said it was important for robbery victims to be good witnesses. "We tell them to try to look at the person and be able to describe them as best they can," Wheeler said. "That way, we have a better chance of catching them later." Heidi said she did her best describing the assailant to police. But Dana Mauzy, a detective with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department's robbery unit, said the chances were slim that the suspect would be found. "We probably won't find him unless the same person keeps doing it over and over and we develop some type of pattern," she said. Heidi did everything right, but she said she was guided less by rational thought than by an adrenaline rush. Parents advise gay students on coming out Couple speaks at group meeting By Ryan Blethen writer@kansan.com Kanson staff writer It is not easy for parents to hear that their son or daughter is gay, Bonnie and Rudy Cuevas told a group of 10 students last night. But they stressed that it is something that parents need to accept. The Cuevas spoke last night at a Queers and Allies meeting at Parlors A, B and C in the Kansas Union. The Cuevas, who are members of the Lawrence/Topeka chapter of Parents, Friends & Family of Lesbians and Gays, told the group that even though it is a shock to learn your child is gay, there are ways that students can lessen the blow. This includes providing the parents with reading materials or presenting them with the names of people for them to talk to, the couple said. The Cuevas said Organizations like P-Flag were a great help to them. When their son first came out, they said they felt bad because he had hinted to them that he was gay, but they had not done anything to support him. To come to terms with their son's sexual orientation, they decided to learn more about homosexuality. "Don't just tell them and leave them there," Bonnie Cuevas said. Not all parents are as understanding as they were, the Cuevas said. They said they knew parents who took as long as 10 years to accept that their child was gay. When the Cuevas' son first told his mother that he was gay, she told him he couldn't be because he went to church, she said. "You're an altar boy," she said. They warned the group members that they needed to be careful when telling their parents. A person needs to think about things like finances, Rudy Cuevas said, because if the parents are paying for college, they could cut their child off financially. "You can pick your friends," he said. "You can't pick your parents. You have to do what's right for you." After talking about their experiences, Bonnie Cuevas asked the group members to talk. Matthew Skinta, Andover junior, said that when he told his mother, she turned to his aunt, a lesbian, for help. Even though his mother supports him, he said, she still has a hard time with gays displaying affection. Bonnie Cuevas said at first that was how she felt about her son having physical relationships with men. Rudy Cuevas said the most important thing to do was to take charge of the situation. "Oh my God, you're gay, but you're actually going to date boys," she said, referring to her initial shock. "We've never been abused because we've never let anybody abuse us," he said. Topeka resident Rudy Cuevas talks to the KU Queens and Allies group about the experience of having his son declare that he is gay. Rudy Cuevas and his wife, Bonnie, are members of the Lawrence/ Topeka chapter of Parents, Friends & Family of Lesbians and Gays. Photo by Craig Bennett/KANSAN Writing Center's tutoring to go online by summer By Ryan Devlin writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer In addition to the new Writer's Roost at Watson Library, the University of Kansas Writing Center is expanding its services through an online tutoring site for the entire campus. The KU Writing Center, a service that aids students in writing papers, will extend its services from its Writer's Roosts around campus to online in a new interactive tutoring site. The site currently is a prototype available only to Edwards campus students, although all students will be allowed access by summer "It is the virtual version of our face-to-face consulting," said Michele Eodice, KU Writing Center director. "Right now we accept works from Edwards campus students only, since they are likely to be students who travel to the campus only once a week and who work and attend school at nontraditional times. They can use the online service from other sites miles away from our facilities." Eodice said students at the Edwards campus were required to meet with a writing consultant in person before submitting works of up to 12 pages for online evaluation. Usually within 48 hours, students receive feedback and suggestions for revision by one of three consultants who monitor the online service. Eodice said the concept of online tutoring had been around for some time. "Many colleges and universities across the country have supplemented their face-to-face writing consulting," she said. "The oldest and best-known online writing lab is out of Purdue Jennifer Cunka, acting director of Purdue's writing lab, said its online lab had been in operation since 1993. She said the lab was tremendously successful. "It's very popular amongst students here at Purdue and from around the world," Cunka said. "We receive about two million hits per year." Cunka said the Purdue site offered links to other online writing labs, an e-mail address for asking the writing consultants specific questions and handouts on an array of grammatical and technical questions. Eodice said KU Writing Center's site, which is available to all students, already offered literature on common grammatical and technical problems as well as links to other online resources. She said that by summer, the site should have an e-mail address sumitur to those at Purdue and on the Edwards campus prototype site. The main campus site also will be available to people outside the KU community. "We don't plan to block out people who are not affiliated with KU." Eodice said. She said the current KU Web site also got several hits from people as far away as Japan. Angela Place, Lenexa graduate student and assistant director of the KU Writing Center, is one of the tutors for the Edwards site. She said the online writing lab would increase the center's goal of accessibility. "Piloting online tutoring first on the Edwards campus, and then on the main campus this summer, is one significant way that we can deliver on that promise of accessibility," Place said. WRITING CENTER ONLINE The KU Writing Center plans to include interactive online tutoring beginning this summer. The center's Web site is www.ukans.edu /-writing. The site currently features information on common writing problems and links to other online writing resources. Peanuts musical to take stage at Hashinger Hall theater By Jessie Meyer writer@kansan.com Kansan staff writer Charles Schulz's Peanuts characters will come to life tonight in the musical You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. "It's a series of vignettes that deals with universal subject matter," said Hugo Vera, El Paso, Texas, senior and director of the program. "It's about dealing with peers, self-worth, self-esteem and self-doubt." All four performances will be free. Originally, the show was included with Hashinger Hall Art Week. But, because of a mix-up in advertising, it instead has become an independent event, said Jenny Gattone, Overland Park sophomore and performer in the musical. the performances will be in the Hashinger theater at 9 tonight, 2:30 p.m. tomorrow and 2:30 and 8 p.m. on Sunday. Vera said he chose the musical because of Schulz's death on Feb. 13 this year. "It seemed appropriate," Vera said. "I think most people don't know how much impact these characters have had over the years." About 13 people are involved in the hour-long musical - seven will perform as the Peanuts characters. Gattone, who plays Lucy, said she got involved with the musical because she loved Peanuts and enjoyed reading the script. "Everyone has worked really hard on it," she said. "It's going to be a great show." You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown will follow the encore presentation of the Vagina Monologues, which begins at 7:30 tonight in the Hashinger theater. The Vagina Monologues is a reenactment of several interviews conducted by Eve Ensler with hundreds of women from around the world about their bodies, said Julie DePauw, Chesterfield, Mo., sophomore and actress in the play. It's main focus is to allow women to express themselves openly and freely, she said. "I think most people don't know how much impact these characters have had over the years." Hugo Vera El Paso, Texas, senior Registered Student Organizations A minimum of one workstation will be available in the Student Organizations and Leadership Development Center for the 200-2001-year. Applications are due by noon on Apriul 12, 2000. Applications are at SUA, O&L, and in 133 Strong Hall. Questions: Bill Nelson, O&L Center, 864-4861 Jane Tuttle, Dean of Students Office, 864-4060 944 Mass.832-8228 Red Lyon Tavern MASSAGE THERAPY! Only $25 in Student Clinic Lunaria Bodywork Institute 841-157 1103 Mass. St.