By Hugh Fisher

Kannapolis Citizen

Cassie Scofield's journalism class at A.L. Brown High School has spent the last couple of weeks learning about Kannapolis' past, present and future.

To celebrate the Kannapolis Centennial, those students chose story ideas for a special issue of The Brown Beat, A.L. Brown High's newspaper.

The special edition is part of the school's activities during Centennial Education Month, which include an oral history project and morning announcements with facts about Kannapolis.

Journalism students chose topics and set out to learn about the city of Kannapolis, Cannon Mills, the schools, the people and the places that make the city unique.

Elaine Schoenfeld spent time in the history room of Cannon Memorial Library in Kannapolis learning about the city's earlier years for a story on Cannon Mills.

"I spent a couple of days there," Schoenfeld said. Among the facts she uncovered that younger people might not remember: James W. Cannon's company actually started in Concord, as Cannon Manufacturing Company.

"The students had freedom to choose topics," Scofield said. The research interested her because Scofield herself is new to Kannapolis, having moved here in August from Pennsylvania.

"I was surprised to learn the numbers of people affected by the closing," Scofield said. "(The students) did a good job of getting everything together."

Amily Calamari reported on the forthcoming N.C. Research Campus. She interviewed a local resident on how the project would benefit the people of Kannapolis and described some of the facilities scheduled to be built in coming years.

For sophomore Brent Messenger, the assignment meant a chance to learn more about events that affected his family and many others personally.

"My dad used to work there (at Pillowtex), and got laid off," Messenger said. "For half of the families in Kannapolis, it's the same deal."

He visited the city's Web site and learned about the N.C. Research Campus, which its supporters say will bring thousands of jobs back into this area.

"It's interesting because it will help the community out so much," he said.

The special centennial edition of The Brown Beat went to press last week. Copies were to be distributed on campus to A.L. Brown students.

Contact Hugh Fisher at 704-933-3450 or hfisher@kannapoliscitizen.com.