The following two articles were published in InCommunity Magazines, a chain of magazines published in Pittsburgh suburbs about local events and businesses. It is a family-oriented magazine.
I arranged interviews, interviewed the subjects, and composed both articles. For the second article, I discovered the story and selected the interview candidates.
BUTLER WOMEN CHALLENGE THE STATUS
QUO ON AND OFF THE FOOTBALL FIELD
By Alyssa Choiniere Published April 2009QUO ON AND OFF THE FOOTBALL FIELD
Few football players would openly confess to listening to Britney Spears, or wearing make-up.
Local women Heather Andrews and Brandi De Marco are exceptions. They play for the Pittsburgh Force, the newest local women's football team. The Force is committed to its motto – “A Force for women: On the field and in the community.”
“I think the impact on the community has been my most rewarding experience,” said De Marco, kicker.
Since the first huddle in August, the team involved themselves in the community, from hosting a women's small business expo to teaching girl scouts how to play football.
De Marco also has a passion for the disabled, to which she said, “Just hang in there. There are people that want to help you.”
The Force plays home games at Ambridge High School, and participates in the school's events. They walked in the St. Patrick's Day parade and the Halloween Parade, said Andrews, quarterback.
Andrews' dedication to community service reaches beyond the team. Her spare time is spent by volunteering in Ellwood. She works as a drug and alcohol therapist, and dedicates one extra night a week taking the clients to do community service.
Both De Marco, 29, and Andrews, 26, have years of athletic experience.
Andrews' athleticism started at age 6 with softball. Since then, she played with Riverside High School, the Pittsburgh Patriots, and the University of Pittsburgh. Her strong arm, developed by softball, prepared her for the quarterback position.
Her interest in playing football was peaked when she received a text from a friend. “She said that I would be perfect for it,” Andrews said. Her greatest achievement as quarterback, she said, was simply “being given the opportunity; having the leadership responsibility.”
“I'd like to stay with the sport, and grow as an athlete and as a person,” Andrews said.
De Marco played ice hockey for the Pittsburgh Puffins and football with the Pittsburgh Passion. In women's football, she said, “the Passion helped pave the way.” She also plays indoor soccer and plans to begin polo.
“I'm a karaoke junkie,” she said. “Anywhere there's karaoke, I'll go.”
De Marco went to college for pre-med at New Mexico State University. Since then, she lost 380 pounds. Her secret was a regimen of exercise and healthy food.
De Marco loves to take her daughter, age 5, to midget football practice. She said that football is a big accomplishment for women.
“I think a lot of people still feel that it's a man's sport,” Andrews said, adding that the team "really does" play full contact. De Marco said that it is sometimes difficult to maintain credibility as a woman on the field.
“I had an old boss tell me, 'It's just women's football. Who wants to watch?'' De Marco said. She said a man answered, “If the girls are wearing bikinis, I'll watch.” The Force's growing fan base has other thoughts.
“They look at you like you're Ben Roethlisberger. Or Jeff Reed, in my case.” De Marco said.
De Marco attributes part of her success to Conor Lee of the Pittsburgh Panthers, who stands as the nations No. 2 kicker. Lee assisted De Marco and gave her kicking tips.
On the Force, said De Marco, “everybody is willing to help everybody out.”
“Our camaraderie is impeccable,” said team manager Rich Nocito.
Both offense and defense work together, and the team avoids breaking into cliques. This doesn't inhibit friendly banter between positions, however.
The team is built of women from many backgrounds, Nocito said. Players include lawyers, a tow truck driver, and several paramedics.
The unity of the team was portrayed at a practice when a player, who works as a paramedic, approached Nocito, asking for a watch to check another player's pulse.
Within seconds, Nocito, a coach, and three players assisted the fallen teammate in the field, mid-practice. The woman was experiencing low blood sugar. She nearly went into shock, according to Nocito.
He rushed to her aid with a water bottle. An injured player found a blanket, and tucked her in, protecting her from the wind whipping across the field. Within minutes, the woman was on her feet, escorted by her teammates to rest in a coach's truck.
After a stressful week with law school finals, she met the greatest sympathy with her team.
With the passion of the Force, Nocito has no doubt that the team will be successful. He spoke of his hopes for making it to play-offs, which he says is “well within our gasp.”
The Force is seeking interns for the summer, and encourages students to contact the team.
The season began April 18, with games every Saturday at 7 p.m.
A HEALTHY DOSE OF SWEETNESS By Alyssa Choiniere Published September 2009
A HEALTHY DOSE OF SWEETNESS
Theresa Santoso, co-founder of Cupoladua Oven, made care packages which were good enough to launch a company and bring her daughter home.
Cupoladua Oven was launched in 2007 by the mother-daughter team, Theresa and Stephanie. The unique treats originated from the original care package cookies.
"I really loved these cookies, and I couldn't find anything exactly like them," said Stephanie. So, she quit her job in New York City at Ogilvy and Mather to move back home and bake cookies with her mom.
Today, Theresa and Stephanie bake unique treats in Wexford which are sold in 8 states and Washington D.C.
Stephanie combined her marketing experience with her mother's entrepreneurial experience and mixed in a shared love of baking. Theresa gained her business experience in her homeland of Indonesia by opening a boutique.
"She'd always tell me stories about how great it was," said Stephanie. "I guess I felt like, secretly, I did really want to start my own business."
"I thought, 'She's still young. If she wants to do it, she better do it now,'" Theresa said.
Cupoladua Oven comes in both sweet and savory styles, called cookies and clouds respectively. The snacks are meringue-based, and are a good source of fiber and protein. The cookies contain only 11 calories, and the clouds contain only four. Yet, the low calorie count does not make them any less satisfying.
The snacks are intended for drink pairing, and each flavor includes pairing suggestions. These suggestions are necessary with such unique flavor profiles, such as Parmesan and Pink Peppercorn Clouds and Chai and Pistachio Cookies.
These odd combinations are a reflection of the women's background. In Indonesia, recipes are a mix of Asian and Dutch influences. Stephanie was raised on a fusion of American food and Indonesian food. When she went to New York, she experienced the melting pot even further. Thus, the Cupoladua products are a mix of several distinct cultures.
The product underwent significant development between the care package and the store shelf. The mother-daughter team experimented with many flavors, and Stephanie shared her New York discovery of chai with her mother.
Though Theresa did not like the chai cookies initially, Stephanie insisted that people would love it. Eventually, Theresa did, too.
"At first, chocolate was my favorite, and then chai became my breakfast," Theresa said.
The savory clouds were developed one year after the cookies.
"We were kind of doing it out of curiosity," Stephanie said.
The Cupoladua Clouds are made of cheese and complement wine perfectly.
Yet, the women who make the cookies add just as much flavor to the recipes as the ingredients.
"The nice thing about the two of us is that we have very different skill sets," Stephanie said.
With her background at the advertising agency, Stephanie brought larger business principles into the small firm. In this way, her methods clashed with those of her mother.
"My mom was like, 'Don't worry about the schedule! Why do we have to meet again?'" Stephanie explained with a smile.
The two learned to compromise and recognized the advantage of their individual perspectives.
"We are so much different in personalities and habits. I have my way of being disciplined, and she has her way of being disciplined," Theresa said.
The two also explained how the business has influenced their perspectives of each other.
"I always kind of knew my mom was really smart and creative, but from a different perspective," Stephanie said.
She told the story of the year she asked her mother for a Barbie birthday cake. Instead of receiving the expected rectangular cake decorated with dolls and pink icing, she received a full-sized standing Barbie doll with a dress made of cake.
"She's really savvy business-wise," said Stephanie. "There's another whole side to her that I didn't see. The business wouldn't be the same without her."
Theresa would encourage Stephanie to take steps others may consider risky. Under her recommendation, they pitched the product to Whole Foods after only two months.
"She was really instrumental in getting us to grow faster. She would say, 'What's the worst that can happen? Just go for it!'" Stephanie said.
In 2008 and 2009, Cupoladua Ovens was chosen to present their product at the International Fancy Food Show. The clouds were chosen from approximately 2,000 products to be featured on the Today Show.
"We were there as a newcomer. That was a good feeling," Theresa said.
After two years in the industry, the Santosos still have their goals set high.
"In an ideal world, in a year or two, we'd have our product from east to west coast, and have it be profitable," said Stephanie.
Yet, even as a new business, they are using their gifts and profits to help others.
"The ultimate thing is to help young people do what they want to do," Theresa said.
They are working with Share Our Strength, a non-profit with a mission to end childhood hunger. They are participating in the organization's Great American Bake Sale by donating 10 percent of profit to the cause.
The women also aim to help local farmers by using local ingredients, and possibly creating new products to promote specific local farmers and produce.
"We are developing a couple new cookie flavors that we'd like to launch in the next year. Our mission was, and still is, to provide healthy, unique snacks. Our products will always be in the same pattern."
Cupoladua Cookies and Clouds are available locally at cupoladuaoven.com, Whole Foods, Coffee Tree Roasters, Right by Nature, The Uncommon Market, and several other locations listed on their website.
Even with their continued growth, Stephanie loves to receive e-mails from satisfied customers.
"When you're not expecting it is when you appreciate it the most," she said.
