If there's a shortcut to paydirt in the music industry nowadays, it's got to be "American Idol." Just ask Triangle native Anoop Desai, who is still working off the momentum of his finalist showing from this past season.

"It's been very, very positive for me," Desai says of his run on the show. "There's no formula. All of us who got through the first round were very lucky, and we just kept going from there. It does seem like such a long time ago that it happened -- a year ago. I'd tell people, just be prepared for your life to change completely, overnight. It has been a good thing for me."

Desai sings next week at the NC State Fair. For details on that, as well as some talk about deep-fried cuisine, see the interview in Friday's paper.

Today is University Day at UNC Chapel Hill, and Chancellor Holden Thorp has put a twist on the traditional State of the University address that campus leaders here customarily give as part of the day's celebration.

This year, Thorp gave a virtual address. You can click on the 9-minute youtube video below or click here to read the transcript.

The chancellor doesn't break any news in this year's address. Mostly, it's a summary of all that went on in the past year. It emphasizes the budget crisis that sapped $67 million from university coffers, and the Bain report, created by a consultant to help the university streamline its administrative and financial operations.

And it also trumpets some highlights from the past year, like the national championship in basketball, the success of Anoop Desai on American Idol, and the fact that the university produced two Rhodes Scholars.

Not bad.

On the budget issue: Thorp mentions that the economic crisis has led more students to request financial aid in order to get to or stay in college. The university has managed to patch aid packages together for all who needed them; the Carolina Covenant program, which offers full aid funding for students who demonstrate great financial need, has swelled and now accounts for 11 percent of the first-year class.

At 11 this morning, Gov. Beverly Perdue will give the keynote University Day address at Memorial Hall.

A certain Orange County tourism promoter has a serious crush on American almost Idol Anoop Desai.

She sent us this note recently with a postscript Desai attached to the bottom of an earlier e-mail to her, thanking organizers of his enthusiastic homecoming last week. She called it sweet, and it is, but so is her infatuation.

Here is the postscript:

Eve’s Carolina Way

"Study hard and work hard.
Play hard.
Keep an open mind.
Take pride in yourself, in your school, in what you produce,
and the ways you help others.
If you make mistakes, make sure you learn from them.
And never give up--stay strong to the finish."

"American Idol" finalist Anoop Desai is home in Chapel Hill after a Top 6 finish on the hit TV show.

Desai will meet with fans from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Robert's Lounge at the Franklin Hotel, according to a releease from the Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau. Then on Monday both UNC and the town of Chapel Hill have declared “Anoop Day.”

From 5:30 to 7 p.m. a reception will be hosted by the General Alumni Association at the Carolina Club. Chancellor Holden Thorp will express his thanks to Desai on behalf of the university. Doug Dibbert, President of General Alumni Association, will speak on behalf of GAA. The event is open to the public.

“At the reception, his friends and family will speak briefly about Anoop, outlining the ‘Idol’ journey and what a great friend he is to so many,” friend Chris Melly said in the release. 

At 7 p.m., Desai will head to Chapel Hill Town Hall where Mayor Kevin Foy and the Chapel Hill Town Council will present a proclamation declaring May 4 "Anoop Day in Chapel Hill" and hand Desai a key to the city.

Buttons and posters congratulating Anoop have been produced by the Visitors Bureau, a marketing agency funded by Orange County and the town of Chapel Hill.

“These are free and we want all businesses to display these posters and wear the buttons,” said Laurie Paolicelli, director. Residents and business owners may stop by the office at 501 W. Franklin St. for buttons and posters. Or call 968-2060.

In case you missed it: Chapel Hill's Anoop Desai, the teen idol/Southern Folklore scholar who just got booted from American Idol answered some questions recently about his hometown.

We ran excerpts of his interview in the Chapel Hill News. In it, Anoop talks about UNC and the big basketball championship as well as his love of his hometown and desire to make the folks here proud.

One snippet: 

Of all the contestants, it seemed to me that you were really the one who had the strongest link to your hometown. You mentioned Eve Carson at one point, the basketball championship, and you said you were looking forward to coming back to Chapel Hill. Why do you think that is?

 I have such a connection to this place, I think, because of the people. My best friends, I made in Chapel Hill. The best experiences of my life, aside from "Idol," have been in Chapel Hill. I love just the aura of our town. I also wanted to make Chapel Hill proud. That was in large part a reason for me auditioning for the show.

Check it out here.

Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds will appear on Live with Regis & Kelly and on The Ellen Degeneres Show tomorrow (Monday, April 27).

Anoop and Lil Rounds are the most recent contestants kicked off of American Idol, and are scheduled to chat and sing on both shows. 

Live with Regis & Kelly airs here on ABC at 9am, and Ellen airs on NBC at 3pm.

Now that he's been eliminated from 'American Idol," Anoop Desai has found his true love, and it isn't folklore studies.

In a conference call yesterday, reports say, when asked whether he was returning to UNC-CH for his post-graduate work, Anoop said this:

"I am definitely going to pursue a music career. Singing is what I am the happiest doing. It's what I do the best.

Anoop is picking music over UNC.

Anoop Desai, the Chapel Hillian who got booted from the wildly-popular American Idol talent reality show last night, is now saying he plans to bow out of grad school to pursue a music career.

Desai is a graduate student at UNC-CH studying folklore, a passion of his since he wrote his undergraduate honor's thesis on southern barbecue.

Guest blogger Chloe Paterson gets to say goodbye:

Anoop’s coming home!
…
Ryan has a live shot from backstage and he still hasn’t let the contestants forget that there is a double elimination tonight. He says the judges don’t have as much to do tonight because the save has already been used - when do they ever do anything important on elimination nights?

Paula choreographed the Idols’ group song for tonight. She seems to be in her element when she’s in the dance studio. Too bad she isn’t a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance”. The contestants give her flowers after the performance. In case anyone was wondering who buys Matt Giraud ringtones, he does…

Well, Chapel Hill "American Idol" finalist Anoop Desai's luck finally ran out Wednesday night. After all the close calls (and a judge's save that expanded the top-12 to a top-13 to accomodate him), Desai was finally voted off the show. He made the top-six but will go no further.

This was the fourth straight week Desai finished in the bottom three, and his fate was sealed when it came down to either him or Allison Iraheta who would be going home. Iraheta is a particular favorite of the judges, and also the last female contestant standing after the departure of Lil Rounds (who was also voted off this week).

Sure enough, Desai was the one to go. So maybe he'll be getting back to his folklore studies at UNC before too long.

Update: Or maybe not.