Alan Thayer, ’81 LOCATION: EUGENE, OREGON OCCUPATION: BUSINESS LAWYER THE BEAVER BEHIND ENEMY LINES Alan Thayer practices law deep in Duck country — but step inside his office in Eugene, and it’s all orange. As he says: “We’re doing what we can to spread the Beaver faith here in Lane County.” After local Beaver Club meetings ended, Thayer wondered for years how to regain that sense of community. Then clients started having trouble with employees “doing stupid stuff on social media.” Maybe, he thought, he could learn more about Facebook and promote Oregon State at the same time. The Beavers Behind Enemy Lines Facebook group launched in 2012. At 9,400 members strong and growing, it could be bigger. “Unlike a lot of other groups, we actually investigate each and every person,” he says. “These are real Beaver fans. These aren’t fake accounts. And it’s been a pretty cool thing.” The goal is an “online refuge for Beaver fans wherever they may be” without the negativity that too often consumes social media. That takes time. Quite a lot of time. Even with two other moderators, Thayer is at it at least two hours a day. The reward is a community that some coaches and even players’ families feel comfortable in. “When someone is wanting to trash a player, I think of those people,” he says. “Would the person who made the comment say that directly to the player’s mother?” Most people just need a reminder to be kind. “There are people who are great contributors who started off negative,” he says, “and then they mellow out.” All the effort seems to be working. A few days after OSU’s College World Series run ended, outfielder Gavin Turley’s dad posted a long, heartfelt thank you. “Through … the great moments and the hard ones — you stayed. And you loved him,” he wrote. Thayer says that’s exactly how a Beaver community should be. After all, sports are important, but they’re not the most important thing. “It’s really the people,” he says. 47
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