Nestled in the sprawling hills of Los Angeles is a lesser known fact of presidential history, that Mr. Obama once attended Occidental College—Oxy to everyone around here—from 1979 through 1981, before he transferred to Columbia. This is also one of the first places Obama ever gave a public speech, on the subject of South African apartheid, a school recognized for its focus on biology and international diplomacy. This afternoon, one of the Oxy students offered to walk with me around campus and I enjoyed the positive company.
