After weeks of controversy, filled with confidential e-mails, anonymous sources and bickering between the student government and university administration, it seemed that everyone had an opinion about the Linda Yalem Memorial Race and the Student Association's decision to withdraw its $5,000 of funding.
Everyone, that is, except the Yalem family, whose unknown opinions have been the cause of concern.
Neither Linda's mother, who lives in California, nor her sister Ann Brown, who now lives in New Jersey, had been reached previously for comment. The family members have since said they have no idea why SA questioned their support of the race.
"I'm not sure where that thought might have come from," said Ann's husband, John Brown, speaking for the family, when finally contacted Thursday. He explained the anniversary of Yalem's death is particularly emotional for both Ann and her mother.
"The larger point is our support for the race," Brown said. "It's very respectful, and we appreciate it, but it also forces the community to remember."
Yalem was a 22-year-old transfer student from Southern California training for the New York City Marathon at the time of the 1990 attack. The rapist, who has never been caught, has been connected with up to seven more rapes, spanning from 1986 to 1994.
Since her death, an annual memorial race has been held in her honor. This year's race took place on Sept. 28, and drew over 1,000 members from UB and the Western New York community.
Previously, officials from SA said they had received information from two inside sources that the family did not support the race, and as such the SA Senate pulled the organization's $5,000 contribution.
SA President George Pape said he was "ecstatic" to hear that the family was happy with the race, and moreover it was actually the 2002-03 SA administration that made the decision to suspend the funding.
"What I can only really speak of is what I've inherited," said Pape. "And I've inherited a budget that speaks for no financial contribution to the Linda Yalem race. I've inherited the position of the presidency, which was that we do not support the race."
Vice President for Student Affairs Dennis Black said he never doubted the family supported the race.
"It was never a question," Black said. "We've believed that all along when this craziness first started with the student government, we told them it wasn't an issue. They chose to believe anonymous mystery sources rather than believing the truth."
"She didn't know"
SA had at one point cited previous lawsuits as an indicator that the family was displeased with the race.
According to Brown, the family had twice filed lawsuits regarding Yalem's rape and murder on the grounds that since she was an out of town student, she should have been better informed of the dangers of the community.
"She didn't know the area, didn't know there was a serial rapist and was totally unaware of it, when the general community knew the risk," Brown said, adding that the lawsuits had since been dropped.
"I don't understand why anyone would misconstrue that into not supporting the race," he said.
To the Yalem family, he said, the lawsuits were simply a plea to the university administration to change the orientation policy so it would better inform students of possible threats. According to Brown, Black denied the family's requests to inform the students about the serial rapist.
"It was extraordinarily offensive, especially to my wife and to her mother," Brown said. "(Black) was never compassionate, and that was very frustrating and offensive."
After the university refused to change its orientation policy, Brown said, the family felt the race would serve as a substitute to help raise community awareness.
According to Brown, however, despite this semester's controversy, neither Black nor anyone in the university administration contacted them to ask their feelings about the race.
"They stayed away from us, I think, because they don't like the policy change that we requested," Brown said.
Black declined to comment on communication between the university and the family.
"I'm not going to talk about the Yalem family," Black said.
Memorial scholarship
The family, however, had a few questions for the university, specifically about the Linda Yalem Memorial Scholarship, a fund Brown thought was created in Yalem's name.
At the time of Linda's funeral, the family requested donations to the fund in lieu of flowers. The family itself along with Yalem's friends donated several thousand dollars, Brown said.
"They have never given us any information about how much money was there, who it was going to," Brown said. "We have no idea."
Black said since the fund was relatively small, it could not be an endowed scholarship, which sustains itself through self-generated interest. The money from the fund and the proceeds of the race go to general aid for students each year, he said.
Plans for the future
Pape said upon learning of the family's support for the race, that he will do everything in his power to ensure the race carry on in her name, with full support of SA.
"Even though the Student Association didn't support it this year financially, we never said we didn't want the race to occur," he said.
"The Student Association, if this is in fact accurate, will do everything possible it can to make sure the race is a success financially and emotionally here at the university," Pape said. "Because it is a very emotional race, and quite frankly it should be."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
