S&T student Amanda Koenig is working on a summer research project at Saint Louis University. Fortunately, she is getting an opportunity to spend some time outside the biochemistry lab. Here is the second of Amanda's summer reports.
After two weeks of safety training and extensive planning on paper, I am getting ready to set up the first of my reactions this week. Almost everything that we are working on in the lab has not been done before, so I am going to test each reaction on a small scale first to determine ideal conditions before moving on to the preparative scale.
This past weekend, I got a chance to visit several historic sites in St. Louis. On Friday, I went to the Casa Loma Ballroom in the Cherokee-Lemp district with the Missouri S&T Aerial Swing Dance Club.
The Casa Loma was built in 1927 as part of an entertainment center containing a bowling alley, shops, and the ballroom itself. Once one of eight grand ballrooms in St. Louis, the Casa Loma is the only one that has survived the Depression, a changing culture and a massive fire that completely destroyed the original building. Even though big band swing music is not as popular as it once was, the Casa Loma still holds swing nights every Friday with a live band.
I took advantage of the beautiful weather on Saturday to explore the rest of the Cherokee-Lemp area. I walked down Cherokee Antique Row, which holds the most antique and vintage shops in St. Louis. Signs along the street tell visitors about the rich history of the neighborhood.
To top off my tour, I paid a visit to the Lemp Brewery and the Lemp Mansion. Adam Lemp was the first brewer to take advantage of the natural cave systems under St. Louis for storing and ageing beer. The Lemps built their home about a block away from the Brewery and used the natural tunnels in the caves to walk to work. At one point, they even put a pool and a vaudeville stage in the caves for their personal entertainment.
Unfortunately, a good portion of the caves was destroyed when highway 55 was built. The Lemp Mansion still stands and has been converted into a restaurant. It is rumored to be haunted, since several members of the Lemp family committed suicide in the house. I didn't see any ghosts on my trip, but I wouldn't want to go back at night!
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