Collins Blackburn (right) joins classmates at Aiken Technical College in singing America the Beautiful at a candlelight vigil. RON COCKERILLE/STAFF

Outside of Aiken Technical College on Thursday, she read one of her many drafts.

''I hope and pray to see you one day, in the heavens above,'' she read to a crowd organizers estimated at between 100 and 200 people. ''Until that time, we must say our final goodbye.''

''It just wasn't right,'' the Aiken Tech senior said after the reading. ''It's been sad. I've been doing a lot of praying.''

Thousands of Americans perished Tuesday in devastating terrorist attacks. Officials report that more than 5,000 people might have been killed.

After Ms. Bacon's reading, students and faculty sang My Country, 'Tis of Thee and America the Beautiful. Audience members gripped burning candles as they sang.

Flames flickered, and smoke from extinguished candles snaked toward blue skies above.

Senior Victoria Williams, who along with other members of Aiken Tech's student government helped organize the candlelight vigil, dabbed a tissue around her eye as tears welled up.

''I feel a sadness for those who did not know if their loved ones were alive or dead,'' Ms. Williams said. ''I will never forget that day. It has changed our entire nation.''

The gathering prayed, held a moment of silence and said aloud repeatedly, ''It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.''

The Rev. Greg Rogers, of St. Catherine Orthodox Church in Aiken, spoke to the audience.

''The enemy is evil, not our brothers who follow a different religion,'' said the Rev. Rogers, also a professor at Aiken Tech. ''We come from many different backgrounds.''

Student government President Angel Addison said she hoped the vigil brought the community together.

''There was a sense of unity today,'' she said. ''We are a very diverse group of people.''

Leroy Delionbach, a Vietnam War-era soldier, said that since the war he could not remember an event so tragic as Tuesday's attacks.

''Shocked is a good word'' to describe his reaction, said Mr. Delionbach, who teaches criminal justice at the the school. ''I feel angry.''

''The big difference is that this is our country,'' he said. ''They attacked innocent people here.''

Reach Josh Gelinas at (803) 279-6895 or scbureau@augustachronicle.com.