While most of the world viewed the 50th anniversary of the United Nations from a television screen, an SIUC student was in the middle of the celebration Tuesday in New York.

Anas Alrasheed, an SIUC student in journalism from Kuwait, said he traveled to New York Tuesday on an invitation from the Kuwait Embassy to witness the celebration atmosphere first-hand.

On Tuesday he said he had lunch with President Amir from Kuwait.

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We had lunch and introduced ourselves, he said. But we did not get to talk very much. He was very busy

Alrasheed said there were more than 100 people at the lunch, including Kuwait Ministers, Ambassadors and other important people from Kuwait.

The Kuwait embassy paid for his hotel at the U.N. Plaza and his plain fare for his trip, he said.

Alrasheed said there was a very positive feeling at the hotel and the conference environment in general.

Seeing people from different countries staying at one place was amazing, he said. There were so many countries and backgrounds that came together to make the world better.

Alreeshad said he believes that ten years ago it would have been impossible to have leaders such as Aryfat and Castro in the same place.

This indicates that the world is changing, he said.

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Alreeshad said though he only stayed one day, it was all well worth going to the trip.

It may have only lasted one day, but it seemed like it lasted a week.