Why does DKA have Cinematic Society Chapters in addition to Fraternity Chapters?
When DKA was founded in 1936 it was an all-male honorary fraternity for cinematographers. To become more inclusive and open the experience up to more members, DKA purposefully evolved to become gender-inclusive. To become even more inclusive it opened itself up to those interested in working in the entertainment industry outside of just cinematography. Based on the feedback received from members across the country, there is a need for some members at particular campuses to develop the identity so that it can become more inclusive, for their particular environment. Unlike DKA members in the 30s and 40s, our organization is much larger and a full rebranding is not the best strategy within our current circumstances. Instead, DKA has created an additional classification option for the chapters that request it. This classification maintains all of the quintessential elements of the DKA experience, presented in a more inclusive and professional form.
What does DKA stand for in DKA Professional Cinematic Society?
In 1936, our founding fathers established Delta Kappa Alpha to represent the three principle branches of interest in Cinematography: that of the Dramatic (Delta), Kinematic (Kappa), and Aesthetic (Alpha) elements of the subject. These words have become eternally connected and interchangeable within our organization and our Cinematic Society Chapters publicly identify with this element of our history.
Why was this alternate classification created?
With all the gradual changes happening in the Greek organization world and in the Entertainment Industry, we wanted to give certain chapters the option to further clarify our identity and locally rebrand themselves to more accurately reflect and perform our organization’s professional purpose on this campus. Cinematic Society Chapters are very much still a part of the same National Cinema Family just as before. Those chapters have simply reorganized themselves to more clearly pursue our organization’s mission and goals on their respective campuses. The title of “˜Delta Kappa Alpha’ is still a meaningful part of our chapter’s history and values, but it is no longer accurate in describing what our chapter is now. These Cinematic Society Chapters are just a fundamentally more professionally focused and inclusive. They still recruit new members each term with a similar but more professional “Recruitment Week” and have new members go through an educational “Associate Program” where they get trained and oriented on how to get the most out of their membership in our organization.
Preserving DKA History
This alternate classification option more closely resembles what DKA was like between 1936 – 1981, which functioned like an Honorary Cinema Society. In 1964, when another school inquired about DKA expanding to their campus, famed member Herb Farmer described the organization as a film society in his reply letter on April 8, 1964. He said, “the primary purpose of Delta Kappa Alpha is a film society in the classical sense of the words. By this, I mean an organization dedicated to procuring and running screenings of significant motion pictures.” As well as, “The primary purpose of Delta Kappa Alpha is to foster closer relationships between students and professionals who make their living in some branch of the motion picture industry.” Preserving and learning about all of DKA’s fascinating history is just as much of a priority for all DKA Professional Cinematic Society chapters.
When DKA was founded in 1936 it was an all-male honorary fraternity for cinematographers. To become more inclusive and open the experience up to more members, DKA purposefully evolved to become gender-inclusive. To become even more inclusive it opened itself up to those interested in working in the entertainment industry outside of just cinematography. Based on the feedback received from members across the country, there is a need for some members at particular campuses to develop the identity so that it can become more inclusive, for their particular environment. Unlike DKA members in the 30s and 40s, our organization is much larger and a full rebranding is not the best strategy within our current circumstances. Instead, DKA has created an additional classification option for the chapters that request it. This classification maintains all of the quintessential elements of the DKA experience, presented in a more inclusive and professional form.
What does DKA stand for in DKA Professional Cinematic Society?
In 1936, our founding fathers established Delta Kappa Alpha to represent the three principle branches of interest in Cinematography: that of the Dramatic (Delta), Kinematic (Kappa), and Aesthetic (Alpha) elements of the subject. These words have become eternally connected and interchangeable within our organization and our Cinematic Society Chapters publicly identify with this element of our history.
Why was this alternate classification created?
With all the gradual changes happening in the Greek organization world and in the Entertainment Industry, we wanted to give certain chapters the option to further clarify our identity and locally rebrand themselves to more accurately reflect and perform our organization’s professional purpose on this campus. Cinematic Society Chapters are very much still a part of the same National Cinema Family just as before. Those chapters have simply reorganized themselves to more clearly pursue our organization’s mission and goals on their respective campuses. The title of “˜Delta Kappa Alpha’ is still a meaningful part of our chapter’s history and values, but it is no longer accurate in describing what our chapter is now. These Cinematic Society Chapters are just a fundamentally more professionally focused and inclusive. They still recruit new members each term with a similar but more professional “Recruitment Week” and have new members go through an educational “Associate Program” where they get trained and oriented on how to get the most out of their membership in our organization.
Preserving DKA History
This alternate classification option more closely resembles what DKA was like between 1936 – 1981, which functioned like an Honorary Cinema Society. In 1964, when another school inquired about DKA expanding to their campus, famed member Herb Farmer described the organization as a film society in his reply letter on April 8, 1964. He said, “the primary purpose of Delta Kappa Alpha is a film society in the classical sense of the words. By this, I mean an organization dedicated to procuring and running screenings of significant motion pictures.” As well as, “The primary purpose of Delta Kappa Alpha is to foster closer relationships between students and professionals who make their living in some branch of the motion picture industry.” Preserving and learning about all of DKA’s fascinating history is just as much of a priority for all DKA Professional Cinematic Society chapters.
With all the gradual changes happening in the Greek organization world and in the Entertainment Industry, we wanted to give certain chapters the option to further clarify our identity and locally rebrand themselves to more accurately reflect and perform our organization’s professional purpose on this campus. Cinematic Society Chapters are very much still a part of the same National Cinema Family just as before. Those chapters have simply reorganized themselves to more clearly pursue our organization’s mission and goals on their respective campuses. The title of “˜Delta Kappa Alpha’ is still a meaningful part of our chapter’s history and values, but it is no longer accurate in describing what our chapter is now. These Cinematic Society Chapters are just a fundamentally more professionally focused and inclusive. They still recruit new members each term with a similar but more professional “Recruitment Week” and have new members go through an educational “Associate Program” where they get trained and oriented on how to get the most out of their membership in our organization.
Preserving DKA History
This alternate classification option more closely resembles what DKA was like between 1936 – 1981, which functioned like an Honorary Cinema Society. In 1964, when another school inquired about DKA expanding to their campus, famed member Herb Farmer described the organization as a film society in his reply letter on April 8, 1964. He said, “the primary purpose of Delta Kappa Alpha is a film society in the classical sense of the words. By this, I mean an organization dedicated to procuring and running screenings of significant motion pictures.” As well as, “The primary purpose of Delta Kappa Alpha is to foster closer relationships between students and professionals who make their living in some branch of the motion picture industry.” Preserving and learning about all of DKA’s fascinating history is just as much of a priority for all DKA Professional Cinematic Society chapters.
