www.roanoke.com

Delphi, Salem High school's literary magazine, is hosting its bi-annual fundraiser. Since the addition of the full computer graphics classroom at the school, they have been consistently achieving the trophy class rating from the Virginia High School League and gold medals from the Colombia Scholastic Press Association.

The VHSL rating is the equivalent to a state championship for school publications. Next year, they'll achieve the Charles Savage award for sustained excellence for winning a trophy class rating for five of seven years.

The club is separate from the school's monetary funds, so that they can keep their operating budget from year-to-year. While they have started to accrue several patrons, including House Rep. Morgan Griffith, they have sold coffee in cooperation with the Salem Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea for most of their budget.

With those accruing funds and patronages, "we've been able to put full color covers on the front, back, and have a full center photogallery and visual arts gallery," said faculty sponsor Fred Campbell. "Full color is something we keep inching towards."

The exclusively extracurricular layout crew for Delphi is made up of around ten students, including its editor Quinn Lester. Students from all over Salem High submit everything from poetry, to song, to paintings for consideration in the magazine, which currently stands at 52 pages.

"I've been into creative writing, but now I'm entertaining the possibility of being in the magazine industry," said Lester. Delphi gives kids who might not be in other extracurriculars the chance to become involved.

They're selling pounds of freshly roasted coffee from the local Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea for $13 a pound or $22 for two pounds. Contact Fred Campbell at fcampbell@salem.k12.va.us or at SHS at 387-2437. Dec. 12 is the cut-off date to order to support Delphi.

Photo: Faculty sponsor Fred Campbell and Editor Quinn Lester with the Delphi's 2007 award from Colombia Scholastic Press Association.