U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., will not be visiting Brandeis for this week's EarthFest, but the University is still trying to secure a time for the former presidential nominee to speak on campus later this month.Kerry was originally scheduled to speak at Brandeis next Monday but could not make it due to scheduling conflicts, Senior Vice President for Communications Lorna Miles said Monday.

According to Miles, the University is still in communication with Kerry's office about the possibility of bringing him to Brandeis April 28 for a lecture on global warming, his role as an advocate for environmental causes in the Senate, and This Moment on Earth, a book on the lives of environmental activist that he released with his wife, Teresa Heinz, in March 2007.

If the April 28 visit doesn't work with Kerry's schedule, the University will still try to have him speak on campus next fall, Miles said.

Gen Ed Now, a club formed last semester with the purpose of bringing more high-profile speakers to campus, and Students for Environmental Action had been working with the Department of Communications to bring Kerry to campus for EarthFest, a 10-day celebration from April 6 to April 16 focused on sustainability.

The effects of global climate change and environmental destruction and student-based solutions and careers in the green collar sector.

U.S. Rep. Edward Markey, chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, will speak next Sunday at 4 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall as part of the program.



-Jacob Kamaras