Despite allegations of trying to avoid mandatory military service by delaying graduation from university, actor and singer Ming Dao (明道) recently attended the enrollment session held by Chungyu Institute of Technology and was accepted.
Ming Dao has repeatedly caused controversy as he has been a college student for 11 years and has changed schools four times during that period. Chungyu is the fifth school he is to attend.
According to sources, the school did not recognize Ming Dao as he used his real name, Lin Chao-chang (林朝章), to apply for the test, only realizing later after he received his test admission ticket.
Chungyu secretary-general Lin Shu-cheng (林書正) said that as Ming Dao was eligible for the entrance test, Chungyu could not say no.
Ming Dao has been criticized by the vice principal of Tungnan University, his former school. The vice principal, Lee Ching-yin (李清吟), said Lin was only using schools as a way to delay his mandatory military service, adding that in the two-and-a-half years Lin was enrolled at Tungnan, he only completed six out of the 37 elective credits and was 74 credits away from graduation.
Ming Dao is not setting a good example for college students or other youths who want to go into show business, Lee added.
Ming Dao now holds the title of the oldest college student in show business. He took the title from Bobby Dou (竇智孔), a college student for 12 years, who entered military service at the beginning of the year.
Twenty-eight-year-old Mike Ho (賀軍翔), 29 year-old Ethan Ruan (阮經天) and Joseph Cheng (鄭元暢) are close behind, each having been in college for eight years.
All three had given tentative schedules for serving their military service in April, with Ruan saying he would report for service after finishing the two movies he is currently shooting.
Cheng said he would serve his term in the military with a more settled mind after he has helped his family pay off a loan. Ha has also said he would begin his service within two years.
Translated by Jake Chung, Staff Writer
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