"The program cuts across faculty and departments. It is transdisciplinary- what a liberal school should be," said Ahmed Samatar, Dean of International Studies and Programming.

This year's annual International Roundtable, titled "Prometheus's Bequest: Technology and Change," is being held from Thursday, October 10 to Saturday, October 12. The program will focus on the role that technology has had on social change. The theme was decided a year in advance through various discussions and conversations in the

committee. The presenters were selected through the collective cooperation of the departments at Macalester.

Samatar said he hopes that the audience will get "more information, fascinating analysis and in the end, a greater understanding of the problematic" from this three-day program.

The event starts at 4 p.m. on Thursday, with introductions by Samatar and President Michael McPherson. The keynote address, "The Fetish of Technology: Causes and Consequences," will be given by David Harvey, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Geography of City University of New York. Harvey's address will be held in Weyerhaeuser Chapel, while the other session will be held in the John B. Davis Lecture Hall.

Along with Harvey, there will be six other scholars from around the world: Macalester professors Ruthann Godollei and Stanton Sears, Andrea Myklebust, Joel Mokyr, Nazli Choucri and Aphra Kerr.

The first session, titled "Reflections on Art and Technology," will be presented by members of Macalester's Art department. Godollei is a professor of Art who teaches printmaking, design and art theory, and is former Dean of Fine Arts. Sears is a sculptor and Associate Professor of Art. Myklebust is also a sculptor, who has worked in many community development initiatives. Sears and Myklebust have worked together on various projects, such as a Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The "Reflections of Art and Technology" discussion will take place on Friday from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

Joel Mokyr is Professor of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Economicsnd History at Northwestern University. He currently serves as the president of the Economic History Association. He will give his address, entitled "Thinking About Technology and Institutions," from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on Friday.

Nazli Choucri is a professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institution of Technology (MIT). She acts as head of the Middle East Program at MIT and is the director of the Global System of Sustainable Development. She will discuss "Technology and Development: Implications for the Middle East." Her session will be held on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon.

The last presentation will be given by Aphra Kerr. Kerr received her Ph.D. in Communications Studies at Dublin City University in Ireland and is now working on a research project titled "From Traditional Visual Media to Contemporary Digital Media- the Emergence of Computer Games." Her presentation, titled "S?il Eile: An Irish Perspective on the Mass Media and Globalization," will be held on Saturday from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

Each panel will also include discussions by selected Macalester staff members, alumni, and students. The discussions will focus on the presenter's essays. The Roundtable is free and open to the public.

The International Roundtable, first held in 1994, occurs every October and is a Macalester tradition. The Roundtable brings together scholars from all over the world to discuss subjects of global importance. The scholars write essays, which are the main focus of the individual sessions and will eventually be published in Macalester International.