by Ananya Sethi

From Dean Yarhi-Milo & Clinton’s pet project IGP to the harsh realities of dating SIPA men - the re-emergence of SIPA Follies brings campus culture to life through laughter and wit. 

On April 19, SIPA Follies rose from its bunker for a night (more like a pregame for the LASA Party - deserving a sketch comedy of its own given the unprecedented ticket auctions) of free comedy and second-hand embarrassment in our very own Publique).  

SIPA Follies has a long history, dating back to 1988 when it was founded by Juliet Wurr - now a Foreign Service Officer at the US Department of State.   

Bhavana Bellamkonda, one of the writers and organizers for the event, recalls “What started as weekly writing sessions with Sara, Manusha, Gunnar, and Ben sitting in her living room and talking about stories around campus, slowly became a safe space that was warm and welcoming. The Follies became a space to process everything through comedy.”

With free pizza and a lineup of skits roasting every corner of SIPA life, the show brought Seeples together to laugh and cry about all the absurd moments of the semester. From scathing hot takes on campus bureaucracy to deeply uncomfortable personal anecdotes, no topic was off limits for the Follies crew.

Among many other things, a PSA health warning was issued for people attending the LASA party by advertising a full-body condom as a protection against the “splash zone” along with a shocking revelation that attending the LASA party could get you expelled!  A cameo of Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo hiring Hillary Clinton for the Institute of Global Politics, a women-led institute, discussed Clinton’s strategy for the IGP success - “Great PR and staying far from anything too political.”  While Hillary struggled with accessing her account, thanks to SIPA IT for blocking it, important topics like salary negotiations were discussed among other less important things like politics and peace negotiations. 

The former President of SIPA Follies, Ben Jurney, took to the stage as Donald Trump- because if there is one thing that SIPA students love- it's an accurate caricature of American Leadership. Ranting about SIPA being a “failed state” run by “losers, freaks, and nerds,” the wit was on point! The sorting hat segment for “Welcome to SIPA'' separated the students into different concentrations. Perhaps the night's zingiest roast was served to Urban and Social Policy concentration when the student under the hat sneered “Urban and Social Development!”  Ultimately, the Sorting Hat ceremony was a brutal reminder that while SIPA attracts many intelligent change-makers, it's also a breeding ground for delusion. Hope the loan interest lets you live with yourselves! 

In the exposé on the harsh realities of dating in SIPA, the Tinder profiles of men at SIPA were as misleading as the “free” chai for change.  The men at SIPA raging about their “built” body types and “radical feminist” stance deserve a special mention.

But the night’s true showstopper was the “I’m Just Men” finale where the leading Kens, elaborately choreographed a routine to the song, “We’re just men (in ISP), we’ve got ends and ways and means.” The men unleashed their smooth dance moves and staged away in flattering attires that could make Cardi B blush.

After all, SIPA Follies reminded everyone that when you gather cash-strapped and stress-devouring students, it results in a dark sense of humor. As Ben Jurney says, “It was an inspiring reminder that comedy has the power to help us recognize our shared humanity in even the most difficult situations”

Keep an eye out for more of their shows! 

Ananya Sethi (MIA ‘25) is the Culture Editor at The Morningside Post.