At Occidental College we believe an effective strategy for institutionalizing diversity in the midst of ongoing national “culture wars” is to adopt educational models and practices that nurture and sustain diversities of all kinds, while simultaneously helping our undergraduates to strengthen their skills in critical thinking, expository writing, and public speaking. Furthermore, we see no need to choose between the twin goals of our college mission—excellence and equity. We consider these two goals to be inextricably intertwined. Because many U.S. students are reared and educated in isolated racial enclaves, we need educational models and practices that interrupt and reverse this disturbing social pattern. One such model is Occidental College’s “Pilot Learning and Living Community (LLC).”