Sometimes it can be hard to care what happens overseas.Between the daily pressures of college life and the steady flow of news that directly affects us — the economy, budget cuts and similar gloomy headlines — it seems like students have enough to deal with by themselves.For example, why should a college student care what’s going on in Iran?              Recently, Iran held presidential elections. The government announced a victory by hard-line fundamentalist incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinajad by a relatively wide margin.The results are widely held in suspicion, after a massive turnout in support of the more moderate reformer candidate Hossein Moussavi led many observers to believe Ahmadinajad would be ousted.Iran’s government is notoriously oppressive — the hard-line regime is infamous for violent suppression of dissidents in its quest to maintain a strict Islamic social order — and many believe the election was rigged.Now, the iron-fisted regime is facing widespread riots as Moussavi supporters take to the streets in protest. These protests consist almost entirely of young adults — college students.It’s a fascinating story, but again, why should a college student care enough to take the time and effort to learn about it?Why do students rioting in Tehran matter to students working summer jobs and going to summer school in Baton Rouge?First of all, Iran matters because it affects us as Americans.Iran is at the forefront of Middle-Eastern challenges to American power.  The nation has pursued a nuclear program despite vocal opposition from the U.S. and its allies.  If this program were to result in Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, the balance of power in the Middle East would shift dramatically — in a way that is definitely bad for the U.S.Ahmadinajad is also notorious for his incendiary rhetoric against the West and is one of the most powerful figureheads for anti-American sentiment in the world.  From his pedestal as Iran’s president, his words of defiance echo across the Arab world, fueling the flames of hate.Finally, there is overwhelming evidence that Iran funds and supports the terrorists that are killing U.S. soldiers in Iraq — so as Americans, we should care that the country is facing upheaval.All of this is a result of the regime that currently holds power.  Moussavi and his supporters, who are far less extreme than Ahmadinajad and his cronies, are decidedly less anti-American.  Although technically Iran’s president does not hold much power, his symbolic power as a figurehead is undeniable.A reformer president — such as Moussavi — would ease a great deal of tension between the U.S. and the Middle East.Yet even if international political implications are not considered, college students should care about Iran because they care about humanity.  As any student who read “Persepolis” as part of the University’s reading program last year knows, Iran’s government is extraordinarily oppressive.Everyone in Iran is forced to abide by the strictest tenets of Islamic law.  Women must go about with their entire bodies covered, and the slightest physical displays of romantic relationship between young couples carry severe punishment. Any criticism of the government is met with severe penalties, ranging from imprisonment to beating to death.  There is virtually no free press remaining in the country.In the wake of the elections, Iran’s college-age citizens have apparently had enough.  Despite the iron-fisted repression of political opposition, huge crowds of young people have gathered incessantly in the streets of the nation’s capital. These protests continue to grow in the days after the election —  hundreds of thousands of protestors clogged the streets and rooftops Monday, chanting Moussavi’s name.There are some signs the protests may be working — Ayatollah Khamenei, who wields the real power in the country, has stated Moussavi should officially take up his concerns with the government, a signal many analysts take as a positive sign.  If Khamenei and the government actually deal with Moussavi with some civility — instead of entirely blocking him out — it could be a first step toward some badly needed meaningful political dis course.To put it simply, college students should care when a nation oppresses its people. Young men and women like us are going to universities overseas to receive educations based in dogma in institutions where any semblance of individuality is crushed.We should be thankful that we do not inhabit such an environment.  And we should care — and applaud — when those that do stand up and rebel.Matthew Albright is a 20-year-old mass communications student from Baton Rouge.—–Contact Matthew Albright at [email protected]