As droves of sophomores flock to corporate recruiting events in anticipation of their leave terms, Tomi Jun '08 is preparing for a different type of off-campus experience. Jun will spend two years serving in the Singapore army and will return to campus and graduate alongside the class of 2010.
Jun is optimistic about his extended absence from campus.
"Well, it's longer," he said, comparing his two-year leave period to a typical off-term. "It may actually turn out to be more productive than some of my off-terms. I couldn't even get a job at 7-11 my freshman summer."
The National Service Act, passed by the Singaporean government in 1967, requires all male citizens and second-generation permanent residents who are 18-years of age and older to serve a two-year period as Full Time National Servicemen, after which they are considered "operationally ready." The Singapore military is comprised of 20,000 career servicemen and approximately 300,000 operationally ready National Servicemen. Jun -- who will be paid for his service by the Singaporean government -- will fall into the latter category after his two years of service.
"I think it's actually nice to be able to get out of Dartmouth and then come back to it because it's easy to confine your universe to Dartmouth for your four years," Jun said.
Jun, a member of Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity, said that he expects this experience will change his outlook on life upon returning to Dartmouth. Still, he did express some anxiety about being away for such an extended period of time.
"It sucks that I don't get to graduate with my class," he said. "It'll be a social change coming back, like freshman year all over again. I know some 10s, but TriKap will have a completely new membership."
Jun said that he purposefully chose to take the two-year leave during the middle of his college career rather than after he graduated.
"The reason I'm doing it after my third year rather than after I graduate is because if I were to graduate and then leave the country for two years, it would be difficult to get back into the system," he said. "So I actually chose to do it now and I don't mind doing it."
Jun has been a regular contributor to The Dartmouth's comics section as the writer of "Pinces and Phillips."
Sae Jin Kim '05, native of South Korea, was readmitted this past Spring term after he withdrew in the winter of 2004 to serve in the South Korean Army.
Kim said that he did not find his army experience particularly life-changing but rather that it provided a much-needed break from Dartmouth.
"While you're there [in the army] you kind of appreciate how much freedom you had, before you go into the army in general," Kim said. He added that he became more organized and disciplined as a result of his service.
Still, Kim said that he found returning to Dartmouth difficult at times but that his membership in Tri-Kap helped him readjust to life at Dartmouth.
"If I did not have a fraternity, I would probably have a very miserable and lonely life," Kim said. "I am too old to make new friends who are so much younger than me. This house helped me a lot."
