MOORPARK : College Hangs Up Students’ Protest

Moorpark College students, angered by the district’s refusal to allow them to use campus telephones for a protest, complained at the Ventura County College District board meeting Tuesday night.

Students had planned Monday to join 40 other community colleges in an attempt to shut down Sacramento’s phone lines. They planned to call state legislators nonstop to try to persuade them to renew funds for Proposition 98.

The proposition sets aside about $2 billion to equalize state financial aid going to school districts for education programs. Gov. Pete Wilson has proposed suspending the funding to balance next year’s state budget.

On Monday morning, Chancellor Barbara Derryberry told students that their phone-a-thon could not take place on school property.

“It wasn’t a matter of calling someone to talk about Proposition 98,” Derryberry said. “The problem was using college district equipment and facilities to paralyze another state agency.”

The school gave the students permission to use the phones a few weeks ago, and students set aside $300 to pay for the initial cost of their long-distance phone bills, said student Patty Bellasalma.

“The intent was to make the community college student body voice heard,” said Bellasalma, a member of the school’s Coalition for Political Responsibility. “It was a legitimate lobbying effort.”