Undergraduates will do much of the talking at the University's first Undergraduate Middle East Conference today and tomorrow at the Paul Robeson Cultural Center.

"The visible roles are being played by undergraduate students," said Arthur Goldschmidt, chairman of the conference and of the University's Middle East Studies Committee, adding that students have worked closely with him for the last nine months planning for this weekend.

"We have a tendency to underestimate undergraduate students. This conference is a statement," said Goldschmidt, also a professor of history. Goldschmidt stressed that it was necessary to seek mature, responsible students because of the controversial nature of issues in the Middle East.

Twenty-four students will present papers on topics relating to the Middle East, and following each presentation, lead discussions on the subject. Goldschmidt said he insisted that every student's paper had professor's signature in order to assure that the papers are quality material.

The discussions are not intended to arouse controversy, he said.

"During the snack time people can argue," he said, adding that he hopes serving lots of food will eliminate arguments.

Goldschmidt said he contacted universities across the country to recruit students for the conference. Although most are coming from Pennsylvania schools, one student is attending from Colorado State University, he said.

The keynote speaker, Jere Bacharach, director of the Middle East Studies Program at the University of Washington in Seattle, will present an illustrated lecture titled "Castles and Citadels: Symbols of Islamic Power" at 8 tonight after an hour-long banquet, Goldschmidt said. Tickets to the banquet are $5 and can be purchased at the door, at the cultural center.

"He has been to Penn State before, supposedly to take his children to the Creamery," Goldschmidt said, adding that this is Bacharach's first time speaking at the University.

In each of the five sessions, a chairperson will choose questions from the audience for discussion. The questions will be submitted in writing after the series of papers are presented, said Dean Potter (junior-international politics), who will chair a session titled, "Superpowers in the Middle East."

"I'm pretty much there as a mediator," Potter said.

The presentations will be informal, said Kenneth Rose (senior-history), who will present the research he did last semester on "Human Rights and the Shah's Fall."

Appropriately, a camel bell will be used to notify speakers of the end of their 15-minute presentation, Goldschmidt said.