While some male LSU students can only dream, Lee Kendrick knows what it is like to have classes made up almost entirely of females.
Kendrick, an apparel design sophomore, is one of very few males enrolled in the LSU School of Human Ecology.
“It’s just different because there’s a majority of girls,” Kendrick said. “There are only two guys that I see on a regular basis.”
Kendrick said he does not know the other male students very well.
While they do have some minor differences, the males get along well with the female majority well, Kendrick said.
“Their [the females’] attitudes are a little different toward school, and you can hear them talking about different things,” he said. “But in a lot of aspects we have the same things in common.”
Yvonne Marquette, a human ecology instructor for more than 20 years, said many male students outside the school are unaware of the opportunities the school offers, but efforts to get the word out can be limited.
“Many men at LSU aren’t in apparel design because they don’t know that the program exists,” she said. “For this reason, the School of Human Ecology often relies on word of mouth to attract students into the curriculum.”
Marquette said there are many successful male designers in the industry.
The male students may even have an advantage over female students when it comes to designing women’s clothes, Marquette said.
“Men can be more objective and open about the creative process because they don’t have to design things that only look good on them,” she said. “They’re not going to be wearing their designs.”
Jeffrey LeBlanc, a merchandising junior, said being a male in the school is different, but not in a negative way.
“In any class you stand out,” he said. “I think I definitely bring a perspective to the class as a whole.”
Before moving to the School of Human Ecology, LeBlanc was planning to major in architecture.
The difference between the two schools has been vast, LeBlanc said.
“The teachers [in human ecology] focus on the good things and make you feel good about what you’re doing,” he said. “In architecture, you never feel like you’re doing good enough.”
LeBlanc works primarily with men’s fine clothing and has been assistant manager of Jos. A. Bank in the Mall of Louisiana.
LeBlanc said there are quite a few men in the business of fashion and design and especially in the field of men’s suits, the field he plans to enter.
The number of males in the School of Human Ecology at LSU is not typical of all universities, Kendrick said.
“In major fashion meccas there are more guys that go into design,” he said. “I think Baton Rouge is a little bit behind in certain areas.”
Kendrick said the reason for this might be a lack of local interest in fashion and design.
“In New York, California and Europe, guys are much more fashion forward, and it’s not outside the box,” he said. “They will break out a little more than your standard Polos and chinos.”
Kendrick graduates in May 2005 and hopes to work for a small designer and later go out on his own.
“To get started, I’ll probably have to go elsewhere and possibly end up back here,” he said. “I want to eventually have my own line and work for myself in the next six years.”
Kendrick said he is happy with his overall college experience thus far.
“I like my school, and I feel like I’m learning a lot,” he said. “I enjoy going to class, and I don’t usually mind being around girls all the time.”