In Blacksburg, Va., the campus was swarming with people attired in the school colors of maroon and orange. Students locked arms and placed flowers on memorials for the 32 victims of last year's mass school shooting.
"An entire year has passed since the heart-rending events that we mark today," said university president Charles Steger during an emotional ceremony that thousands attended. "And while the passage of time has helped us in many ways, we remain deeply and profoundly saddened by the events of that tragic day."
"We've searched for answers. We've searched for meaning in what is incomprehensible. We've searched for rest in our sleepless hours where the silence is shattered by the barrage of our own thoughts. And we've searched our souls for purpose and direction and peace to calm the turmoil of our hearts and minds," Steger said. "We have not found all that we've sought, but at every turn we've found each other."
During the ceremony, the names of the 32 deceased students and professors were read aloud and their accomplishments were lauded.
"The world was cheated - cheated out of the accomplishments that were sure to come from these extraordinary lives," Gov. Timothy M. Kaine told attendees.
Steger also paid tribute to the survivors of the shooting in attendance, recognizing their "bravery, courage and commitment" to moving forward.
After the ceremony, bells rang 32 times and mourners formed a semi-circle around the memorial stones engraved with the victims' names.
The day was also remembered in other ways. A white candle was lit at midnight in the same field with the memorial. The flame will be used to light candles for a dusk-time vigil.
Around 9:30 a.m., approximately 20 people gathered in front of Norris Hall, where gunman Seung-Hui Cho took 30 lives.
A private service was held in War Memorial Chapter for families of the victims, but some said they planned to grieve privately instead.
Small gatherings also took place elsewhere, with one group of students planning to lie down to protest the state's gun laws.
The day was difficult for many, particularly survivors of the shootings. "It's just so emotional for everybody," said Lori Haas, whose daughter Emily was shot but survived. "The kids - you're just so worried about them and think, 'Are they reliving those moments?'"
Despite the solemnity of the day, others enjoyed the sunny weather and the respite from classes. "Today is surreal, but I'm not in a particularly bad mood," Charley Pettery, 21, told AFP. "We're not dwelling on the sadness."
