This year, a sign outside the Vassar Center cafe requests that students enter only five at a time. The reason for this new policy? Stealing from SAGE.
Starting in the spring of the 2025-2026 school year, SAGE staff began to notice open bags of chips and candy strewn on the shelves where items were sold. Staff also looked into SAGE accounting records, confirming there was a mismatch, with fewer items sold than items provided.
The problem was especially apparent in the Vassar Center’s smaller cafe, where students often enter and gather in crowds. “There’s a big line [but] only one [staff member], who can’t keep track of everything,” SAGE staff member Valeriia said.
At the same time, Valeriia explained that SAGE acknowledges that students may have simply forgotten to fill out cashier forms, unintentionally leaving without paying. “It’s not about blaming anyone. My team is focused more on helping students feel supported and keeping things fair.”
In late spring of 2026, members of SAGE staff expressed their concerns to Director of Community Safety David Buerger. Mr. Buerger then contacted Upper School Assistant Director Jeff Bonar, who addressed the issue privately with individual students.
Mr. Bonar said that most often, “[a student] would pretend to write their name on the … checkout clipboard, but … didn’t actually put pen to paper.” After being alerted, Mr. Bonar contacted individual students involved in stealing, discussing the violation of community expectations. Then, “if there’s an action beyond the conversation … that’s on a case-by-case basis,” he said.
Mr. Bonar also pointed out that this problem didn’t just arrive with SAGE, recalling similar incidents when he first began working at Lakeside over a decade ago.
Materially, SAGE has implemented several practical adjustments to address student stealing in collaboration with Lakeside administration. In the WCC, students can no longer purchase products when there is no cashier present, a change from last spring semester that carried over to the 2026-2027 year. Additionally, at the Vassar Center, SAGE now limits the cafe to a maximum of five students at once, increasing accountability while making the center less crowded for students.
Mr. Bonar emphasized the school’s intention to put students in a position to make good decisions about paying their dues. “We don’t want them to … have that temptation to steal [when staff members aren’t present],” he said. “We feel that it’s our role as a school to put kids in a position to make good decisions.”
Valeriia emphasized that in calling out stealing, SAGE does not intend to blame individuals, but rather to raise awareness and communicate with the student body. “We want people to understand why these changes have been made,” she explains. “It’s about clarity and keeping our shared space comfortable for everyone.”
