Education
Read the Letter From Kristi Noem to Harvard
April 16, 2025
US DEP
HOMELAND
TMENT OF
SECURITY
Secretary
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Washington, DC 20528
Homeland
Security
Maureen Martin
School Code: BOS214F00162000
Harvard University
c/o Harvard International Office
1350 Massachusetts Ave., Rm. 864
Cambridge, MA 02138
Maureen Martin@Harvard.edu
Student and Exchange Visitor Program
Student Records Request
It is a privilege to have foreign students attend Harvard University, not a guarantee. The United States
Government understands that Harvard University relies heavily on foreign student funding from over
10,000 foreign students to build and maintain their substantial endowment. At the same time, your
institution has created a hostile learning environment for Jewish students due to Harvard’s failure to
condemn antisemitism. As a reminder, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order 14188,
which specifies that “[i]t shall be the policy of the United States to combat anti-Semitism vigorously,
using all available and appropriate legal tools, to prosecute, remove, or otherwise hold to account the
perpetrators of unlawful anti-Semitic harassment and violence.” EO 14188 (Jan 29, 2025).
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regularly monitors SEVP-approved schools to
determine their compliance with governing regulations, and to ensure the accuracy of information in
the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) for such institutions, and for the
nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors attending school. Your continued SEVP certification is
contingent upon meeting the requirements of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), set
out in Title 8 Code of Federal Regulations (8 CFR). SEVP may request information regarding
nonimmigrant students from certified schools under 8 CFR § 214.3(g) (1). Your school must submit
the following information to our office on or before April 30, 2025:
1. Provide relevant information regarding each student visa holder’s known illegal activity,
and whether the activity occurred on campus.
2. Provide relevant information regarding each student visa holder’s known dangerous or
violent activity, and whether the activity occurred on campus.
3. Provide relevant information regarding each student visa holder’s known threats to other
students or university personnel, and whether the activity occurred on campus.
4. Provide relevant information regarding each student visa holder’s known deprivation of
rights of other classmates or university personnel, and whether the activity occurred on
campus.
In our national memory, George Washington is a mythic figure, cast in metal, carved in stone. His leadership, first as general, then as president, is so intertwined with the roots of this country that it is sometimes hard to separate the man from the idea of America. How does one imagine the living presence of such an icon, much less embody him?
There is a small fraternity of men bold enough to try. At historical parks and commemorations from Virginia to Seattle, these interpreters (their preferred term) transform themselves into Washington. Each has his own approach, but what all their representations seek to capture is a legacy that has endured from his time to ours. If America, at least in part, is an idea, then our national project becomes, like theirs, an act of interpretation, an imperfect attempt to translate some idealized vision into the messy reality of our own time.
— Ezekiel Kweku
“By some strange quirk
of genetics, I have
Washington’s exact
dimensions. Where my
sleeves fall on my wrist,
the size of my chest, the
size of my thighs, where
the breeches fall to my
knees, are all identical.”
John Koopman, 67, often performs
while riding his horse, Bear. He
has portrayed Washington for 20 years.
James Fryer, 70, wears a replica of a general’s uniform that Washington designed himself. He recently completed training to portray Washington for the nonprofit Historic Philadelphia.
“Some people portray George as a marble statue. I don’t do a marble George. I am interested in talking to everyone, even those who yell at me because George was a slave owner. I want to respect them, try to educate them, or maybe even inspire them.”
Vern Frykholm, 77, was moved to bring his interpretation of Washington to Washington State, where he lives, after seeing a 2011 performance in Pennsylvania.
Dean Malissa, 73, signs his personal
correspondence, including emails,
as Washington did: “Your Most Humble
and Obedient Servant.” He became
the Official George Washington
at Mount Vernon in 2004, and held
that role for nearly 20 years.
“I describe him sometimes as just a dude. I look at him and think, I could see myself in the same world, making similar bad decisions or similar good decisions.”
Daniel Cross, 39, portrayed a young Washington at Virginia’s Colonial Williamsburg until last year. He now works with organizations around the country.
Curt Radabaugh, 62, has 13,000 history books in his personal library, including several hundred about Washington. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marines and a retired police officer.
“He’s a mentor, a father
figure, and not only in the
sense that he’s a patriarch
of the country. Because
I grew up without a
father, he kind of became
my surrogate father.”
Brian Hilton, 58, says he researches
Washington’s era every morning before
his children get up and at night after
they go to bed. He is a high school history
teacher near Richmond, Va.
Daniel Shippey, 57, partners on interpretations with his wife, Kelly, who portrays Martha Washington. Kelly researched 18th-century hair techniques to create her husband’s costume hairstyle. They live in Virginia.
“You’re playing the myth of George Washington as well as the historical figure. I make his voice a little firmer and deeper than it probably was in real life. I play him a little funnier than he probably was. In reality, if you came to see him, he probably wouldn’t talk to you as much as I do.”
Doug Thomas, 53, is Washington’s second cousin nine times removed.
John Godzieba, 67, has reenacted
the crossing of the Delaware as
Washington every Christmas for the
past 16 years at Pennsylvania’s
Washington Crossing Historic Park.
“In many ways I don’t look like him. My eye color is wrong. My nose is wrong. My hair color is wrong. I wouldn’t have cast myself in this role.”
Ron Carnegie, 64, has portrayed Washington at Colonial Williamsburg for 20 years.
Ryan Williams, 37, is a veteran who specializes in playing a young Washington during the French and Indian War. He lives in Virginia.
“Some people portray
Washington almost
like a superhero.
I like to bring out that
he has faults. He’s a
person like you or me.”
Michael Grillo, 64, is a historical
tailor who hand-sews his own clothes
for reenactments. He also makes
period props, including two American
battle flags and pewter mugs
engraved with Washington’s crest.
Martin Schoeller is a photographer and director known for his close-up portraits of everyone from world leaders and celebrities to female bodybuilders. For this project, he used a large format camera to photograph 13 historical interpreters of George Washington — many of whom arrived in full uniform — over three days in Virginia and New York City.
Additional reporting by Tenzin D. Tsagong. Interviews have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Top quotes from Brian Hilton, Daniel Shippey and Daniel Cross.
Produced by Sara Barrett, Danny DeBelius and Sam Whitney. Additional production by Olivia James.
One task the robots can take from us? Cleaning. Especially hard-to-access windows. So when writers Caroline Mullen and Evan Dent found this little guy — whose government name is “EcoVacs Winbot Mini” — they were intrigued. Could he clean the uncleanable? Caroline and Evan put their robot friend to the test at both the Wirecutter office and a high-rise apartment. Is a robo-window cleaner more effective than scrubbing yourself?
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