How The World Reached Out To Virginia Tech

Tens Of Thousands Of Memories And Memorials Have Poured In Since Last Year's Massacre

(CBS)  "We have poetry, we have quilts, banners," said Tamara Kennelly, pointing out small memorials during a tour at Virginia Tech.

It's called the Prevail Archives - gifts of condolence and remembrance, which began flooding Virginia Tech just days after the shootings.

"If you started to add up the signatures, there's probably a million people," Kennelly said, pointing at a banner.

And Kennelly is responsible for cataloguing and preserving it all.

"Any idea how much is here?" CBS News correspondent Thalia Assuras asked her on a tour.

"We're estimating there are ... 87,000 items," Kennelly answered.

That includes some items from the gunman's homeland, South Korea. Some things are unexpected.

"This is a car hood that was actually used in a race at Langley Speedway," Kennelly said.

And there are messages of shared pain from other schools where lives were lost.

"Know that Columbine High School shares in your sorrow," one reads.

Was Kennelly surprised to get a memorial from Kent State?

"I think something like that becomes part of your history as an institution," she said.

The students and former students archiving the material can't help but be touched by the outpouring.

"To see how other people are affected who weren't here, that they're affected, it really brings hope," said former student Karen Mackey.

"It's part of the healing process," student Seth Powers said. "Especially on this anniversary."

Art gallery curator Mary Tartaro showed Assuras some of the works people contributed.

"This lady did eggs, one for each of the victims, and she writes in her card 'eggs symbolize the promise of a new life but they are also so fragile,'" Tartaro said.

For the anniversary, Tartaro chose parts of the collection to exhibit on campus.

"When something like this happens people are reminded of things from their own life and they feel the need to reach out and send something," she said.

One year ago, Virginia Tech was shattered. Today, as they take in the gifts of music and art, the community is recovering.

"Is it important for you to call this the Prevail Archives?" Assuras asked.

"Yeah, I think it's a good name for us: Prevail. I think we're all doing that here on campus," Kennelly said.