Merokeans’ hopes run high for ‘Idol’ contestant Robbie Rosen

Merrick singing sensation Robbie Rosen rose to instant national acclaim on Wednesday after his successful “American Idol” audition aired on Fox. Now Merokeans who know Rosen well say they’re hoping to see the well-liked 16-year-old go all the way in the national talent search.

At the audition in New Jersey, the Calhoun High School junior wowed judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler with his slow, but powerful rendition of the Beatles’ classic “Yesterday,” earning him an easy golden ticket to the singing competition that he said he had long dreamed of taking part in.

"He's an outstanding kid,” Calhoun Principal David Seinfeld said of Rosen. “He's a great student, he's very humble, and is well liked by his peers. His teachers highly respect him.”

Seinfeld said Calhoun has been abuzz with talk about “American Idol” since Rosen appeared on the show on Wednesday, but that Rosen has not let his newfound fame get to his head. He added that Rosen’s classmates are happy for him. "He's a humble kid, so there's no jealousy,” he said. “People are rooting for him. He's a good role model for other kids."

Rosen, who takes Advanced Placement classes at Calhoun, missed several days of school during taping of his “American Idol” audition, Seinfeld said. "We never hope for a kid to be absent, but we are sort of hoping he'll be absent down the road,” he joked.

Despite the absences, Seinfeld also said that he does not expect Rosen to fall behind in his schoolwork. "He's working to catch up. When you're absent a week, it affects you a lot. But if you're a kid like that, you work hard to stay up with things, and that's pretty much what he's done."

As a contestant on the show, Rosen is prohibited from speaking with the media, but his friends and neighbors were eager to share their thoughts about him.

"He's a hard-working kid,” said Anthony Patti, 19, a neighbor of Rosen who also played with him on the Calhoun baseball team. “He has high expectations for himself. He's very outgoing and one of the friendliest, nicest kids you're ever going to meet.”