Attendees held candles, flowers and each other as they gathered to hear speakers remember Scott Hawkins, a quiet student who immensely interested in his history studies at a candle light vigil in front of the American River Courtyard Wednesday night.

With a candle in hand, Afshin Marashi, associate professor of history, handed back Hawkins’ midterm.

“I want his family to have this,” Marashi said. “Because he did exceptionally well.”

Hawkins was remembered as a gentle and loving student whose face lit up in his history classes.

Hawkins was killed on Oct. 21 in his residence hall room allegedly by his suitemate, Quran Jones. Jones was later shot by police officers when he came toward them with a kitchen knife and is currently at UC Davis Medical Center.

“Scott was a valuable member of Sac State community,” Roberto Torres, Associated Students Inc. president, said. “It is a great tragedy that a fellow hornet passes away.”

The campus community came together when the tragedy hit, Torres said.

“Let us never forget, let us remember that this is a community for students,” he said. “So that this type of tragedy will never happen again in our family.”

Torres also praised the work of the campus police and the university for “doing their best to keep us safe.”

While Hawkins was quiet outside of his class, history department faculty members saw him animated and smile during their lectures.

Marashi and Robert Dunn, history lecturer, said Hawkins was a student professors would love to have, who was eager to learn in their history classes and share questions and opinions after class.

“He was profoundly interested (in history), which is where my joy came from,” Dunn said. “It was a beautiful thing.”

Though most of them did not know Hawkins on a personal level, students who share the same residence hall came to the vigil.

“It’s so unfortunate,” Jazmin Sepulveda, junior social science major and American River Courtyard resident said. “Now all we want to know is why.”

A motive for the killing has yet to be determined.

As university president and a member of the campus community, Alexander Gonzalez said the past week has been the most difficult time in his career.

“It has been a few days, and it is still difficult,” Gonzalez said. “But I want to make sure that everyone understands that the campus is doing everything to ensure so that Scott is remembered and the campus will move forward.”

Miyu Kataoka can be reached at [email protected].