Deligny refuses military service, despite family pressure. He begins preparatory work for the entrance exam to the grandes écoles, but abandons his studies to instead take classes in philosophy and psychology at the University of Lille –while spending most of his time in the city’s cinemas and cafes. Between 1933 and 1935 he serves as the editor-in-chief of the magazine Lille Université, where he publishes chronicles, film criticism, and other texts. During the period Deligny begins to frequent the Armentières asylum (close to Lille). Amid fascist demonstrations, he joins the Communist Youth and participates in organizing communist students at the university. Shortly thereafter, he begins service as an infantryman in the École militaire in Paris.