Spring Break
Services held in memory
Miyu Kataoka and Kristine Guerra
Issue date: 11/4/09 Section: News
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Sac State students and faculty held a candlelight vigil Oct. 28 in front of the Courtyard. Attendees held candles, flowers and each other as they gathered to hear speakers remember Hawkins, a quiet student interested in history studies.
With a candle in hand, Afshin Marashi, associate professor of history, handed back Scott Hawkins' midterm.
"I want his family to have this," Marashi said. "Because he did exceptionally well."
Scott Hawkins was remembered as a gentle and loving student whose face lit up in his history classes.
Marashi and Robert Dunn, professor of history, said Hawkins was a student who professors would love to have.
"He was profoundly interested, which is where my joy came from," Dunn said. "It was a beautiful thing."
A separate service was held Friday night at the Good Samaritan United Methodist Church in Cupertino, Calif.
More than 100 family members and friends came together to cry, laugh and share stories of Scott Hawkins' life.
"I would just like to remember him as a gentle person who overcame some really serious personal struggles and problems that others don't have," said his father Gerald Hawkins. "I hope other people would see that."
Elizabeth Hawkins said she tries not to dwell on how her son died.
"How he died doesn't change the fact that he's gone and I've lost him," she said, trying to hold back tears. "I'm going to try to focus on the positive things and the time I had with my son."
More than a week after Scott Hawkins' death, Gerald Hawkins said how he died still haunts him.
"I feel and I see my movie of everything that happened to my son. It's like I'm there, like I can see every single thing," he said.
While the motive is still unknown, Gerald and Elizabeth Hawkins grieve quietly.
"I'm very sad inside, but I'm not angry. I want everyone to know that at Sac State," Elizabeth Hawkins said. "I'm so grateful that in the little time that Scott was there he loved it there."
The campus community came together when the tragedy hit, said Roberto Torres, Associated Students Inc. president.
"Scott was a valuable member of Sac State community," Torres said. "It is a great tragedy that a fellow Hornet passes away."
Elizabeth Mueller, Scott Hawkins' resident adviser, said while he was quiet; he looked really happy every time she saw him.
"He had a purpose at Sac State," she said.
About 300 people, including his parents, pastor, faculty and peers, attended the vigil.
About a dozen friends and relatives spoke of their memories of Scott Hawkins at the service in Cupertino.
"I like to think that right now Scott's in heaven," said Robyn Suderman, Scott Hawkins' cousin. "He's also hanging out with some of his favorite people in history, and he's getting the real scoop."
His aunt, Gale Cypher, recalled trying to beat his knowledge of Star Trek.
"He went into his room and pulled out a book about the size of the Los Angeles telephone directory; it was a Star Trek encyclopedia," Cypher said. "Scott was the expert whenever he wanted to be."
Elizabeth Hawkins said that although they are still grieving, they would have to go back to their normal lives.
"At some point, normalcy has to come back," she said. "Now, I just want to be with my family, my friends and celebrate his life."
Asked what he wants to say to the Sac State community, Gerald Hawkins asked students to "think like Scott once in a while."
Miyu Kataoka and Kristine Guerra can be reached at news@statehornet.com.
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