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Students working on Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign can volunteer just a hop away from campus after Saturday’s opening of another campaign office — this time just off State Saturday.

The office, located at 216 Henry St. next to Fontana Sports, will be the base for College Democrats and Students for Obama to organize voter registration and canvassing efforts, said Lavilla Capener, communications director for College Democrats.

“Students need a place where they can go help out,” Capener said. “It’s great for students who aren’t as involved, just to be able to come for an hour or so.”

Students for McCain have an office they operate out of in Fitchburg, said Mark Bednar, co-president of Students for McCain.

“It is kind of a drag because it is in Fitchburg. … It’s tougher to coordinate getting there,” Bednar said. “It’s really nice because we have a really nice, spacious building with a lot of different resources.”

Capener said student volunteers were previously working at the Obama campaign office on Monroe Street but said she hopes with the new location, more students will volunteer because of its convenient location.

“Field offices are so much fun to be in,” Capener said. “In 20 years, [students] are going to remember this as an amazing opportunity to make a difference.”

Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison, addressed the students who filled the new office Saturday about the importance of this election in facing issues like global warming. He said there are always people who will say you can’t do something.

“Finally, we have a leader that’s telling us how we can,” Parisi said. “Now what we have to do to get him elected is look at how we in this room can help him.”

Miles Galbraith, field organizer with Campaign for Change, will be managing the new office and already has several goals for student volunteers.

“This office is for us, and we’re so lucky to have it,” Galbraith said. “We need to use it. We need to pack this office every single night, and if we don’t Barack won’t get elected.”

Galbraith said volunteers will be phone banking every night at the office and canvassing on the weekends.

“We’re trying to maximize voter registration among students and other community members,” Galbraith said. “We have a weekly goal out of this office of a thousand registered voters each week. We want to hit that goal every single week until Oct. 15.”

Student volunteers have registered more than 1,000 people over the course of last week, according to Bryon Eagon, Wisconsin state coordinator for Students for Obama.

After Parisi and Galbraith spoke, students were deputized to register voters by a representative from the city clerk’s office.

In addition to the new Madison office, the Obama campaign opened an office in Oak Creek Saturday, bringing the total number of offices in Wisconsin up to 45.

Eagon said they hope to have the new office full every night between now and the election in addition to the biweekly meetings the College Democrats and Students for Obama will continue to hold on campus.