Delta Kappa Alpha
| Delta Kappa Alpha | |
|---|---|
| ΔΚA | |
| Founded | March 15, 1936 University of Southern California, (Los Angeles, California) |
| Type | Professional |
| Emphasis | Cinema |
| Scope | International |
| Mission statement | Delta Kappa Alpha is a coeducational cinema fraternity which seeks to foster creative growth, to establish meaningful relationships, and to develop and utilize our talents in order to improve ourselves as collaborative artists and contribute to the proliferation of cinematic awareness with the community at large. |
| Motto | Truth in Illusion |
| Colors | Cardinal Gold |
| Symbol | Film stock |
| Mascot | Dragon |
Delta Kappa Alpha (ΔΚA) is a co-educational professional fraternity founded in 1936, at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.
According to USC's cinema website, "Recognized by the School of Cinematic Arts as the official professional cinema fraternity at the University of Southern California, DKA engages the community through philanthropic, social, and professional events. The goal of this co-ed fraternity is to establish meaningful relationships and camaraderie between students highly committed and interested in the film industry and in the cinematic arts."[1]
History
This section details primarily the Alpha (USC) chapter of Delta Kappa Alpha, as its history is the most well documented.
Delta Kappa Alpha was founded in 1936, at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, originally as a group for cinematographers. Soon the Alpha chapter encompassed all undergraduate divisions at the School of Cinematic Arts, including Film & TV Production, Critical Studies, Writing for Screen & Television, Animation & Digital Arts, and most recently Interactive Entertainment. [2]
The Alpha chapter had considerable influence in its first incarnation from 1936 until the mid-1980's. The fraternity had its own office within the School of Cinematic Arts building, equivalent to the current Student Production Office in today's SCA complex.
The fraternity also held annual banquets to honor notable contributors to the cinematic arts. Film legends such as Alfred Hitchcock and Fred Astaire were inducted into the fraternity as honorary members. [3] Hollywood heavyweights such as Sophia Loren, George Cukor, and Judy Garland were known to attend these events. [4]
The fraternity was in its heyday in the 1960's and 1970's, when Dirty Dozen members George Lucas and Howard Kazanjian were among its members. However, by the mid 1980's the Alpha chapter as well as other chapters in the United States and South America had disbanded.[5] There are rumors that the fraternity was asked to be shut down due to its increasing influence on campus and in the Hollywood industry, but it is more likely that dwindling membership and funding caused the USC chapter to close. [6] Why all chapters went inactive is unknown. Despite no longer being on campus, USC still held a "DKA film series" of screenings from the 1982 until the late 2000's at the Norris Cinema Theater on campus, drawing hour-long lines every Friday. [7] [8]
Today
In the spring of 2009[9], a group of students at USC re-chartered the Alpha chapter, and has since grown to be the largest undergraduate student group at the School of Cinematic Arts[10], again encompassing all divisions of undergraduate study and bringing guests such as Alan Myerson[11], John Landis[12], and John C. McGinley (on behalf of Spread the Word to End the Word)[13] to campus as part of its DKA Speaker Series.
A Beta chapter at San Francisco State University followed after in the fall of 2010 with 20 founding members.[14] The Beta chapter's UNAI committee produced the official introduction video to the United Nations Academic Impact program, which premiered at the UN on November 19, 2010. [15] The Beta chapter has also worked with Italian neorealist filmmaker Carlo Lizzani in Italy. [16]
Collegiate chapters
- Alpha chapter, University of Southern California, reest. 2009
- Beta chapter, San Francisco State University, reest. 2010
Each chapter elects an Executive Board consisting of a President and six Vice Presidents (Programming, Communications, Membership, Pledgemaster, Cinematic Affairs, Finance) as well as a Sergeant of Arms.
Other officer positions include Film Committee, Historian, Social, Philanthropy, Sunshine, Alumni, Design, Webmaster, Interchapter, Recruitment, and Professional chairs. [17]
Notable alumnae
- USC Alma and Alfred Hitchcock Professor for the Study of American Film Drew Casper
- Director George Lucas
- Producer Howard Kazanjian
- Actor Fred Astaire (honorary initiate)
- Director Alfred Hitchcock (honorary initiate)
References
- ^ [1] USC School of Cinematic Arts website
- ^ [2] SCA Undergraduate Programs
- ^ [3] DKA Alpha chapter website
- ^ [4] "USC President Rufus von KleinSmid, Sophia Loren, George Cukor, and Judy Garland at a DKA event circa 1959."
- ^ [5] DKA Beta chapter website
- ^ [6] "The fraternity died in the early 80s due to a lack of interest and efforts to fundraise."
- ^ [7] Daily Trojan article, "DKA movies a Friday tradition"
- ^ [8] "Oct 2, 2007 ... Friday, DKA Film Series is showing Pirates of the Caribbean."
- ^ [9]DKA Alpha chapter website
- ^ [10]DKA Alpha chapter website
- ^ [11]DKA Presents a Q&A with Alan Myerson
- ^ [12]A Question and Answer Session lead by USC’s Cinema Fraternity
- ^ [13]Daily Trojan article, "Spread the Word to End the Word’ comes to USC"
- ^ [14]DKA Beta chapter website
- ^ [15]UNAI website
- ^ [16]The Last Maestro page
- ^ [17]DKA Alpha chapter website