Opinions Editor Ishaan Nandwani says farewell

Ishaan Nandwani, Opinions Editor

Working for The Commonwealth Times took a leap of faith.

As a Biology and Spanish major on a pre-medical track, I spent much of my time before The CT studying for biochemistry exams and conducting research at VCU Medical Center. Other pre-meds didn’t spend their time writing for the newspaper, and with my limited journalism experience and packed schedule, writing for a publication as highly regarded and time intensive as The CT was an intimidating feeling.

What I did know, though, was that I loved to write and had many thoughts about the world. That’s why I wanted to work for The CT to begin with. So I pushed my doubt aside, and took that critical leap of faith to be an Opinions Contributing Writer in August 2020 — this was, without a doubt, one of my best decisions in college.

I spent three semesters as a Contributing and Staff Writer, and two semesters as Opinions Editor. As a writer, I started with a specific interest in covering health care and medicine, but my interests expanded shortly after I began; over the past few years, I’ve written about the migration crisis at the southern border, Youngkin’s administration and Greek life on campus. In the process, I’ve grown immeasurably in my ability to unpack an issue and effectively communicate a stance in approximately 650 words, give or take.

I’ve also learned a lot from working as Opinions Editor. Every writer that has contributed to my section has taught me to see the world in a different way, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have worked with each of you.

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned has been that although there are times in which proclaiming our voices is essential, there are also times in which we must simply listen. We live in a world in which it is commonplace to interject our thoughts into every situation — even when we don’t fully understand it.

However, stepping back when necessary and learning from the experts is a valuable skill. At The CT, I occasionally felt compelled to offer an opinion about a topic — for example, the Russo-Ukrainian War — solely because it was relevant. Upon further examination, I realized that I didn’t possess a deep understanding of the dynamics of the two countries’ longstanding conflict, and elected not to offer my recommendations to President Joe Biden regarding America’s next steps from my platform at The CT — he had plenty of that already.

When I consider what to write next, I’m often reminded of advice from my sophomore year high school English teacher: “Write what you know.” Six years later, and I couldn’t agree more.

I want to thank all of the staff members at The CT that I’ve worked with on Opinions — Katharine, Gabi, Hollyann, Killian, Clare, Nick, Tagwa, Grace and Sarah — along with every designer, illustrator and writer who has contributed to the section. You all have made the section what it is, and put up with me even when I was behind schedule.

When I think back to August 2020, I think about a boy who loved to write, but was unsure how it would ever fit into his life trajectory as an aspiring doctor. Today, after two-and-a-half years at The CT, I leave with a lifelong desire to cultivate a career that integrates my passion for journalism with medicine.