Lil Rounds, Anoop Desai and Fox join forces for solar power

On Friday morning in an overcast Los Angeles, "American Idol" Season 8 finalists Anoop Desai and Lil Rounds, fresh from their double elimination, joined City Council President Eric Garcetti and Department of Water and Power General Manager H. David Nahai, among other key players, for a special ceremony.

Fox Broadcasting teamed with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and E-Village Solar and donated a solar electric system to Camino Nuevo Charter Academy's high school campus after seeing how well the 1.36-kilowatt system worked to power the "Idol" 2008 finale's red carpet. The Department of Water and Power provided support, and hopes to continue similar programs among other schools.

Desai and Rounds were given solar-paneled toy cars by students after a speech by senior Christopher Carmona. The student leader quoted Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken." Taking the road less traveled, in this case, the path of using solar energy, can make "all the difference," as Frost wrote.

Desai was L.A. casual in jeans and a plaid button-down and still sporting the facial hair we've seen him with onstage of late. Rounds was long-haired and sophisticated dressed in all black, right down to her very high black patent peep-toe pumps. Despite the fact she was voted off, her big smile shines the same. The 24-year-olds looked all grown up, certainly more polished versions of the soon-to-be stars I met at the top 13 party just last month.

The school is an ideal place for such revolutionary technology, a very modern gray and yellow structure designed by Daly Genik Architects. Desai said he thought the school was deserving to be the the first Los Angeles campus that Portland, Ore.-based Bonneville Environmental Foundation worked with, as school officials there have a strong sense of environmental responsibility. Their Camino Verde program, a sixth-period elective, has recycling, solar and other teams. The largely Latino student body all seemed to be "American Idol" fans, lining up excitedly for autographed photos of the two contestants. Girls giggled after leaving Desai at the table, and the petite Rounds was happy to be taller (in her heels) than a group of girls who asked for a photo with her.

Rounds told me that she's going home for about a week to "be a mama," and then back to "Idol" for rehearsals and the tour. Her thoughts on solar power? "It's a great thing!" As far as other going-green habits, they "definitely recycled" at the "Idol" mansion.

Desai too will go home for about a week, and then return for the finale and the summer tour. With that, and a busy day of press ahead of them, the still-Idolized castoffs hopped in their hybrid SUV.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo: Eric Garcetti, left, with Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai. Credit: Fox

Comments

[Ana]

Anoop is adorable! I love his voice. I'm sad he was voted off but will be looking forward to seeing him again in the finale and the summer tour.

[Shari]

Anoop you are the best. Big mistake America.

[syn]

sense of environmental responsibility?

If Hollywood were honest about environmental responsibility they would not go America Idol tour or produce entertainment which requires the use of fossil-fuel

Hollywood, it is time to put action to your words about environmental responsibility...shut down entirely your industry of pollution.

[Jim]

How well does the system work? What is the cost of installing it ? How does it compare to conventional source of electricity?

[zs]

Leslie: is funny that you asked lil about her thoughts on solar power and by-passed the question w/Anoop. In all probability, he would be the one contestant that could have actually given a more informed and intelligent response than just a 'It's great thing'. strange!

[Jon.S]

hmm zs.. I agree with you regarding your point that Anoop could have given a more intelligent answer, however as a British educated Caribbean born individual, I have come to realise that it's not all about intelligence in corporations, media etc over here..it's about what's cool and hip..of course relative to the glass bowl of course..and you wonder why a President sent his daughter across the pond to study. I don' think intelligence is as valued as much as the "it" factor ; )

[CHARLIE]

great job camino nuevo high school. i have heard so much about this school. pretty soon it will be leading the city of LA into a new era of "agents of social change", as they call their students.