2013 was a rough year. A strenuous year, one like “The Tower” had not seen in the past.

Partway through the year, we had seen the death of beloved adviser, Jeff Nardone, and would have a chaotic arrangement for the next year, with multiple advisers of “The Tower” and teachers for the Honors Journalism classes.

In the end, our leadership team managed to pull through; they persevered in maintaining a high caliber and instilling a sense of determination in the underclassmen. And as they moved on and we had a brand new adviser lined up, our staff remained skeptical.

“The Tower” staff had heard tell of a bass-playing stranger from Dexter High School, who had advised their paper for years. Who was he? Was he going to be as good as Nardone or was the chaos going to continue? Was he going to like us? Were we going to like him?

After only briefly meeting him in “The Tower” room the year before, our staff can remember arriving at the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association (MIPA) summer journalism workshop and officially meeting the new adviser.

It was upon that blistering day in Lansing that we would meet Rod Satterthwaite: unique, unlike any who had come before him. Our lives were forever changed.

Nonetheless, over the next week, the team would grow with Satt, and they would continue to grow with him throughout the summer  as they worked on the ever-menacing first day issue.

Satt introduced himself to all of “The Tower” and Honors Journalism classes in 2014. We warmed up to him quickly, and we would like to think he to us.

Satt was always helpful, and it seemed like he knew everything.

Our sources would not cooperate.

Satt knew what to do.

How were we supposed to arrange the page?

Satt knew.

Are Oxford Commas permissible in AP Style?

Satt knew. (No, no and no, by the way.)

Over the year we would develop as a family. We all laughed at the silly things, like our deification of Jim, our humble classroom fish, our constant errors with quote attributions and our many threats of demerits.

The year rolled on and it turned out to be one of our best yet, with another Spartan award under our belt and smiles to boast, it concluded with a bittersweet farewell to our seniors, but Satt remained.

The next year would turn out to be just as great. We had new staff, and eventually new family.

We shared thousands of moments with Satt, and he was the adhesive that kept us together. Without Satt, we knew that we wouldn’t be worth the paper we were printed on.

Just as we had journeyed to Washington D.C. the year prior, Tower took New York and we all had the opportunity to see Satt in the big city.

We will remember waiting in line at a dessert shop past midnight, laughing over who-knows-what, and all of the miscellaneous adventures we shared on those three nights.

We continued to publish and live on like always, but then came a queer May morning we could have never anticipated.

After nearly two years of exploits with Satt, he told us that he was offered a lucrative opportunity in Palo Alto, Calif., as an adviser to another high school newspaper.

We were a mess. We wanted to believe he wouldn’t take it, but we all knew it was for the best. Satt needed this; it was the perfect place to raise a family, the perfect place to live and as much as it pained us all, we accepted it and were happy for him.

The year is winding down and Satt’s departure draws ever nearer.

Satt is one of the most remarkable people we have met and ever will. He taught us countless lessons, not just in the classroom but of life in general and now, he is teaching us to move on.

The seniors are leaving this year, as happens each June, but this time, Satt is going with them. into a wider world composed of vast possibilities and innumerable adventures to be had, and we are taking a step towards our next adventure, and though it may be without Satt, he will never be forgotten.

The mark that Satt has made will remain at South for years to come, there are many tears  yet to be had and letting go will be devastating, but “The Tower” will survive.

Satt will be remembered for what he has done here with “The Tower”. He seamlessly helped us back on our feet after a tumultuous year and allowed us to excel past all expectations.

For his remarkable skill as a teacher, adviser, mentor and friend. For his unparalleled composure and heart of gold and for the imprints he has made on each and everyone of us. For turning a room in the Main Building into our second homes and a group of kids into our second families.

We’re going to miss you, Satt, and we know you’re going to miss us. Remember, you will always have a home at South, and good luck.