Waiting outside on the plaza for Sanjaya to ask him a few questions for the blog made me think that I was waiting for the President. I couldn't get near the guy at first! And it wasn't his fault. He was just being nice and mingling with all of his fans, and boy were there a lot of them. Snapping pictures, signing autographs, and hamming it up for the crowd, Sanjaya was really giving our crowd a treat. WATCH INTERVIEW. But on his way out (to another interview, of course), I snagged him for a couple minutes.
Q: If there's one moment from the season that was a highlight for you, or that sums up the entire experience, what would it be?
Sanjaya: Meeting Tony Bennett and having him appreciate my music and my ability.
Q: You withstood some pretty harsh criticism, but soldiered on. What do you have to say to kids out there who want to pursue a goal but are being faced with some obstacles along the way?
Sanjaya: Just be yourself. You are the best that you can be. It's important not to change for others, since you know yourself better than anyone else. Don't let negativity get to you. There will always be haters out there, but you just have to be yourself and do your thing.
Q: Is it possible to be a normal teenager after this is all over? Do you want to be?
Sanjaya: Yeah I would like to be. I don't really know how, because I haven't really had the opportunity to try yet. But I would certainly like to be.
And with that, Sanjaya was whisked off to another media appearance.