Think: Delta Kappa Alpha (DKA), a gender-inclusive professional cinematic fraternity, but without the price tag.
Surfacing amongst the Dodge community on September 27th, The Shewolf Society, a new student-run club on campus, quickly picked up momentum on social media.
What pioneered through a quarantine conversation, Chapman senior screenwriting majors, Erica Kennedy and Dalia Gisele, turned their idea of an all-inclusive hub into a reality. The new organization is a group of female and LGBTQ+ creatives seeking representation in the entertainment industry and within Dodge College of Film and Media Arts; all in an effort to transform the culture of a male-dominated industry.
Jordan Elijah Michael, a senior double major in strategic corporate communication & public relations and advertising, and director of marketing says, “the organization was originally conceptualized as a writer’s room for female creatives but quickly became so much more. As our team grew, the scope of what we wanted to do grew as well.”
Within the first two weeks of their launch, their Instagram (@shewolfsociety) drew a lot of attention, with over 215 followers and nearly 50% of those filled out a membership. To date, the club has 292 followers with over 150 Shewolves (members.)
The Shewolf Society has offered a plethora of resources to its members. Ranging from a mentorship program, writers workshops, Q&A’s with industry professionals, educational lectures, and much more.
These Q&A sessions have allowed students to network with established creative professionals like Leslye Headland, creator of Netflix’s Russian Doll, Liz Feldman, creator and showrunner of Netflix’s Dead to Me, and so on.
Co-President Gisele adds, “so essentially, being a member, you get access to these exclusive events, you get to potentially ask questions and engage in an open dialogue with these guests which is something that’s really unique.”
Their mission is to empower Shewolves by capitalizing on their natural talents and interests. Which sparked the creation of the writer’s workshop.
The bi-monthly writer’s workshop is offered to a maximum of fifteen people at a time. In an effort to create a safe environment, students are able to share their personal material and work one on one with professors.
The goal is to offer a space to amplify the voices of marginalized communities such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), females, and LGBTQIA creatives.
“The club is for literally anyone, it’s specifically targeted to have members that are LGBTQ+, female or BIPOC,” says Micheal. But he adds, “of course everybody needs an ally to help amplify their voice, so we encourage everyone, any major, any gender, literally even if you are a straight white man to join our organization.”
In addition, the newly introduced mentorship program aims to match students who want to create a network both at Dodge and throughout their future. This mentorship is accessible to all undergrads, graduate students, and alumni students. Hoping to then create a diverse and abundant network, The Shewolf Society looks forward to the growth in this program.
“Whether you’re a freshman or senior about to graduate, or are already in the industry, we want to create a network for everyone to rely on, not only during your time at Dodge but throughout your career,” says Gisele.
All these perks for the cost of $0.
