Editor’s Note: Elizabeth De Young is a former member of The Daily Collegian.
On the television show “Parks and Recreation,” the character Leslie Knope lives by the philosophy that “no one achieves anything alone.” That sentiment rings true at Penn State’s Delta Kappa Alpha, more commonly known as DKA, chapter.
DKA is a professional and gender inclusive cinematic society. The organization was started in 1935 at the University of Southern California, but its Penn State chapter was created in 2021. Prospective members from any major take part in a formal rush process which happens every semester.
Alyzah-Shea Avila, fundraising, development and philanthropy chair for DKA, said the group has been like a family to her while she’s at school.
“I have made really good friends through the org,” Avila, a third-year studying film production, said. “I’m surrounded by people I love, and I’m so glad to be around people who are as creatively passionate as I am.”
Avila also said having a space where young filmmakers and film enthusiasts can collaborate offers support.
DKA members during their “Over the Garden Wall” watch party
“I think that in a lot of environments we have, artists in general aren’t as supported as other majors or other sectors of life in general,” Avila said. “It’s really important to have that support system that believes in you and matches your thoughts and plan of action, so then if things get rough, you at least have somebody that you know has the same goals and wants to succeed in the same ways as you.”
When it comes to perseverance, Avila said it’s important not to give up on passions — especially in the arts.
“What’s the world without art?” Avila said.
Jake Beck, the showrunner and recruitment chair for DKA, said he originally started at a Penn State Commonwealth campus and found there were few film opportunities.
“The whole time I was sitting, and I’m like, ‘I want to do film work,’” Beck, a third-year studying film production, said. “I looked up film-related clubs at University Park and one of them was DKA. I was scrolling through their Instagram feed, their LinkedIn and I’m seeing all these really interesting people who seem very passionate about film and now I’m like, ‘I really can’t wait to go.’”
Beck said through his role as showrunner, he conducts the screenwriter’s circle, where people are able to bring their scripts and receive feedback on them.
“It’s just so amazing seeing how people work with comedy, how they work with tragedy, all these different genres, and building them into things that they would make into films,” Beck said.
Beck said having a group like DKA provides an opportunity for filmmakers to work with people they know and trust.
“It’s such a collaborative effort of having these people around,” Beck said. “You learn all these things from so many people with different backgrounds.”
Alexander Cahill, sergeant-at-arms for DKA, originally came to Penn State as undecided, but through DKA, was able to decide a path of study.
“DKA gave me the skills to say I know I don’t exactly want to go into film production, but I know I want to do something with it,” Cahill, a fourth-year studying geography, said “I still love film and I am in film, even though I’m not in the film major.”
Cahill said diversity is what helps drive creativity within DKA.
“Having such a diverse group of people with all different majors, years and levels of experiences, it’s really fun just bouncing so many ideas off each other and seeing where it goes,” Cahill said. “Having all the different backgrounds promotes so much, not only community, but we promote so many different ideas. Everyone is learning all at the same time.”
As a fourth-year student, Cahill said one of the things he’s looking forward to in terms of the future of DKA is the direction of the club after graduation. The club has grown a lot over the years, and Cahill hopes to see the group continue to grow.
Club member Jake Beck hosts Trivia Night during rush week.
Elizabeth De Young, vice president of DKA, said members love to celebrate each other’s successes and be there for each other through hard times.
“We have part of our chapter where we just celebrate good things that happen that week to people — whether it’s film or class related,” De Young, a fourth year studying digital and print journalism, said. “It’s just nice that we can have that time to share things with each other.”
De Young also said DKA is a space to not only showcase what you can do, but also where you can learn new skills you might not have had the opportunity to learn elsewhere — and whether members come in with skills or not, it’s a place to try anything.
She emphasized the collaborative nature of DKA and the film industry as a whole.
“You can’t make a movie with one person, you need someone to fill every single role,” De Young said. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve never had experience in that role, because someone will be kind enough and intelligent enough to teach you how to do it. It’s about helping each other make something bigger than all of us.”
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