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Gov. Jim Doyle addressed an overcrowded lecture hall at the University of Wisconsin Thursday to endorse Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president.

UW Students for Obama, clad in red shirts declaring ?Hope has a new face,? opened its semester kick-off party with an appearance by the governor, who said he has endorsed Obama since the day after the Iowa caucus.

Doyle fired up the packed room right from the start of his speech, comparing the current youth political movement to the activism of the late ?60s.

?I know you?re tired of hearing your parents? stories of what it used to be like, but this is what it used to be like!? Doyle said.

Doyle added he decided to endorse Obama after hearing his speech at the caucus. Obama called Doyle the morning after, asking if he was ?ready to go,? and the governor responded with an enthusiastic ?yes.?

?I?d planned to stay out of this campaign,? Doyle said.

Doyle said he supported Obama because he is a supporter of ?moving into the future, not fighting over the past.? He added Obama provides ?a unified vision of what it is to be an American.?

According to Doyle, the Wisconsin primaries will be very important for the nation, adding the state ?will be the center of the universe for a week? leading to the Feb. 19 primaries. According to Doyle, the student vote is especially important this year. He also said youth have a lot of responsibility for making change and challenged students to do it.

?Change the world. It?s all on your shoulders,? Doyle said. ?Please give it everything you?ve got.?

The governor was then presented with a ?Badgers for Obama? T-shirt.

?I didn?t know he was going to come,? UW freshman Kate Gardner said. ?It was really exciting to see him.?

After the governor left, a video montage of Obama speeches and news coverage was shown. This was followed by speeches from student leaders.

State Coordinator for Students for Obama Bryon Eagon, a UW sophomore, spoke about the importance of the youth vote to Obama?s campaign.

Oliver Kiefer, the chair of the UW College Democrats, also spoke. He remained neutral about endorsing a candidate but said he liked that Obama attracted so many young voters.

?He?s bringing new people,? Kiefer said. ?Our job is to turn out the whole campus.?

After more information about how students can volunteer to help Obama?s campaign, the program ended with a chant led by UW Students for Obama Chair Ami Elshareif. After a couple false starts, Elshareif succeeded in involving the crowd in Obama?s signature chant:

?Fired up??

?Ready to go!?