Like many private schools, Urban strives to create a small, close-knit, and safe environment. This isolated culture creates what is commonly called a “bubble,” or a fortunate situation isolated from reality. Ample funding for the school is used to forge an environment that intends to foster intellectualism and trust.

  However, such a community relies on the virtuousness of each and every one of its members. Today at Urban, small issues quickly become scandals and bad deeds have far-reaching ramifications. I originally took on this story because, in part due to a recent Bulletin Board post, there was word of “a string of thefts” circulating around Urban. In the end, it boiled down to just three instances of theft.

  I spoke with Corina Phillips (‘16), a victim of theft and the student who made the Bulletin Board post. In the message directed to the entire school, Phillips wrote “It makes me sad to see that this has already become a pattern at Urban.”  The unknown thief stole her wallet, which contained her credit card, Urban ID, and $40 in cash.  “It was a pain that I didn’t get my credit card back,” said Phillips.  She also noted that the experience prompted empathy for other victims of theft. “(If)you want to be respected by everyone else at Urban, try to treat people the same way.”  

  To better understand the context of theft at Urban, I spoke with Charlotte Worsley, Head of Student Life. “In 27 years,” she said, “it (theft) comes and goes … it’s not a function of the size of the school, it’s been pretty consistent.” Worsley believes that the issue of theft can be attributed primarily to students “leaving their stuff around.” Worsley thinks that leaving wallets, phones, and backpacks unsecured is a naïve decision. When asked if she thinks the “bubble” has anything to do with Urban’s problem of theft, Worsley claimed, “I do think so … if you notice, the public school kids don’t leave their stuff around.”

  While Urban’s isolated culture may be providing incentive for pickpockets, it doesn’t get at the real cause of the problem.Worsley made it clear that the no profile has emerged from all past solved thefts, and I think that makes sense. In the moment, humanity’s espoused ethical standards are often bent and broken. Thus, the issue becomes one of individual integrity. The low volume of thefts, in reality, doesn’t establish enough of a pattern to warrant major changes in day to day operations of the school. Ultimately, the only way to fix this problem is to secure your belongings and treat others the way you would like to be treated.

An online survey taken on Oct 26 suggested that 61 percent of students believe theft is an issue at Urban, yet students continue to leave backpacks and other personal effects unsecured around campus.