Obama's Occidental days

Barack Obama spent just two years at Occidental College, but that time is considered a key period on the path that will lead to his inauguration as president Tuesday. Daily News.

Obama has credited the small liberal arts college in Eagle Rock with transforming him into a serious student and an activist headed for a career in public service.

``It was when I made a conscious decision: I want to grow up,'' Obama told Newsweek in a March 31 story that featured his freshman picture on the cover.