As I sat in the crowded room, I felt my nervousness drain away. I had studied for this final exam more than any other I had taken in my life. All I had to do was wait to see what the essay question would be . . .

Imagine you are talking to someone with no knowledge of history. Using what you learned in this class, prove to this person that the Holocaust actually occurred.

Testimonies from survivors. Films taken by the allies. Captured files. Confessions from the Nazis themselves. Excerpts from Mein Kempf. I filled page after page of my blue-book, straining to squeeze from my memory anything Dr. Spielvogel said that I could use. Finally, there was nothing more to write. Everything I could think of was in that blue book -- everything.

I felt content -- I mean, hey -- I did what I was asked. I proved without a doubt that the Holocaust took place. Who could doubt my work? No one. No one except Bradley Smith, it seems.

The advertisement that ran in Wednesday's Collegian sure has raised some eyebrows in Happy Valley, not to mention some tempers as well. Mr. Smith's ad states he has not seen sufficient proof to convince him that at least one Jew was gassed during the Nazi regime. Smith claims he is not denying the Holocaust took place -- he just needs more "proof" to be sure that Jews were gassed.

My initial reaction was, "You have to be kidding me. Who is this jerk?" After a minute I just shook my head and turned the page. But, other people were outraged -- outraged, it seemed, at the Collegian's choice to run the ad, rather than at the ad itself. It was strange. In one sense I was angered by the ad, but I was also mad that people were going after the Collegian instead of this clown Smith. I was torn. I only had one column, so I chose to address them both.

Dear Bradley Smith,

You don't know me. I'm just a junior in college who read one of your ads the other day. But believe it or not, I'm not mad at you. Unlike most people around here, I harbor no ill will for you or your mother. But don't get a swelled head, Mr. Smith. I pity you. Somewhere along the line, someone warped your intelligence. You're a smart man -- this I don't doubt -- but its sad to see someone use a gift from God to hurt people rather than lift them. And that's what you do -- you hurt people.

You're so smooth. You never come out and say it, but every word on the page pushes the reader in one direction. The Holocaust never happened. No, you don't say it, but you don't have to. You may fool people like Karl Striedieck, the man who submitted the ad, but you didn't fool me -- I'm not that stupid, Mr. Smith.

But don't worry, I would never try to silence you or people who agree with you. Call me idealistic, but I do believe in the right for one to express himself or herself, no matter what the view. Funny thing, those ideals -- they make you defend losers like yourself. You managed to slap an entire race in the face with your little ad, but as I said, that's your choice. Like an ad on MTV said: Down with PC. Let the assholes identify themselves. You did a pretty good job.

Well, I've got to go to class now. You know classes, where people go who really want to learn something. You should try one out in particular. History 143 at Penn State -- you'll love the prof.

Tony.

A note to all you Collegian-bashers.

I understand why many people at Penn State are angry with the Collegian. Without thinking about it for too long, I also questioned why anyone would run that ad. It clearly would be found offensive by many readers. But although Smith's ad was in poor taste, the Collegian did the right thing when they chose to run the ad.

First of all, just because the Collegian ran the ad, it doesn't mean they espouse those views. If you turn these pages you'll find ads for beer, religious organizations and Nittany Notes. That doesn't mean the people here at the paper want you all to go out, get drunk, read the bible and then skip class. As long as a person's ad fits the criteria and they come up with the cash, the Collegian has the right to run their ad.

Secondly, in a weird sense, the Collegian did us all a favor by running Smith's little essay. In an age of multi-culturalism and acceptance, this ad was a rude awakening. You've heard "We've come a long way." Have we really? As long as their are Bradley Smiths in the world, we can't let our guard down.

I once heard an African-American speaker say something I found quite shocking. He said he'd rather live in the South than in the North. In the South, he said, people would call him a nigger to his face. In the North, they'd wait until he left the room.

Its like that saying, the devil you know about is much less dangerous than the devil you don't know. To see such views as Smith's in the Collegian last week should help people confront hate and ignorance. People should never shrink away from the Smiths of the world. They should stand up to them.

Ask yourself this question: If the ad had not run in the newspaper would their have been letters to the editor educating the masses or a rally? I'll answer that for you -- NO.

My last point is that going after the Collegian is misdirected. If someone yells at you using a megaphone, what will crushing the megaphone accomplish? Nothing, that's what. All this energy that went into rallies and letters to the editor could have been better spent educating people about the Holocaust and its effects.

Well, that's all I have to say for now, compadres. I know this whole incident is a touchy subject. You can disagree with me -- that's cool. My number is in the book if you want to chat. But please just give what I typed a whirl. That's all I ask. Oh, and Mr. Smith -- that goes for you too.