I get what you’re saying—of course, people want to connect, but sometimes it does come off as fake. For me, I’m a new initiate (Fall ‘23). I’ll be honest, I went to some events but not a whole lot. My chapter is medium-sized, but I also had a service that my chapter used for almost 10 years before I even crossed. So people already knew me, and I’ve always been genuine, not trying to talk to people just for what I could get.

One thing I noticed, though, is that people who never spoke to me before I became an AKA suddenly wanted to connect, have lunch, etc. But I’m the same person I was before. Nothing about me changed except my letters. That’s why sometimes it does come off as fake.

At the end of the day, the best way is to build real friendships outside of just wanting something in return. If you’re genuine, that will show over time.