CSUN Students Told to Vent Anger by Voting : Politics: The Democratic Party kicks off a statewide registration drive. An appeal is made to those angry about education cuts.

Cal State Northridge students upset over cuts in the state higher education budget were urged Thursday to vent their anger in the polling booth by speakers at a voter registration rally sponsored by the state Democratic Party.

Celebrity speakers and a rock band drew about 300 of the school’s 28,000 students to the noontime rally that California Democratic Party organizers said kicks off a statewide campaign to persuade more college students to vote in the Nov. 3 election. Similar rallies were held Thursday on the campuses of San Jose and San Diego state universities.

“Just because they break your heart, don’t let them break your will,” said state Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), referring to state lawmakers who this week approved a 1992-93 budget that reduces Cal State University funding by 8% while increasing student fees 40%.

He told students the fee hikes were made because legislators refused to raise taxes or to eliminate tax loopholes, including tax write-offs for country club dues, business lunches and entertainment such as Laker games and other sporting events.

The tax benefits come at the expense of students who, because of state education cuts, are finding “it takes seven years to get a four-year degree,” Hayden said.

Student organizers estimated that 150 students registered to vote during the CSUN rally. Since Monday, about 800 CSUN students have registered, and about 80% of them as Democrats, said Ilene Muhlberg, a statewide campus organizer for the state Democratic Party.

“Our goal is to register 60,000 students in California,” said Muhlberg, a 25-year-old graduate student in public administration at San Diego State.

Party officials said the drive was organized because only about 20% of the state’s 2.4 million college students are registered to vote. If students vote in greater numbers, elected officials will be reluctant in future years to reduce funds for education, rally organizers said.

Pam Shipow, a graduate student in education and president of CSUN’s Progressive Young Democrats, said in a speech: “Don’t let them tell you we don’t care and we don’t vote, because we do care and we will vote.”

Organizers said they also hope to persuade students to vote for Democratic nominee Bill Clinton and running mate Al Gore in the presidential election. Information tables for gay rights, abortion rights and U.S. Senate candidate Dianne Feinstein were also set up.

“My little sister will be going to college in a couple of years, and I don’t want her to go through what I’ve been through to get classes,” said Marisol Camarillo, 20, a third-year sociology major who was one of those registering. “The cutbacks are probably going to delay my graduation for two years.”

The rally--which besides Hayden featured rock musician Stephen Stills of the group Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Detroit Pistons center Olden Polynice--had to compete with another voter registration effort held about 100 yards away by radio station KROQ. Station personality “Big Dave” Baxter played rock music and gave away condoms, key chains, soft drinks and bumper stickers to encourage students to register.

So far, the station has registered about 1,000 students on five campuses in Los Angeles and Orange counties during its 2-week-old, nonpartisan, “Rock the Vote” campaign, Baxter said. Besides the giveaways, students also signed up for a drawing for stereo equipment.

“You almost have to bribe them to vote,” Baxter said. “We tell them, ‘Use it or lose it.’ ”