Melissa Perry

Madison

Race and Culture Reporter at WiscNews

📍 @PBSWI | NU Medill ‘22 | past lives: @WIStateJournal @WBEZ @DatelineNBC @ChicagoBetter | find my theatre and dance takes in @Chicago_Reader

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Articles

Wisconsin spelling bee champion prepares for national competition

Jan 27, 2025 | madison.com | Melissa Perry

Like many 12-year-olds, Aiden Wijeyakulasuriya has a wide array of hobbies and interests. He enjoys practicing Taekwondo, tennis, oboe and piano. But today, his focus is on the national spelling bee. Aiden won the Badger State Spelling Bee in March to advance to the national competition. The Scripps National Spelling Bee runs through Thursday in National Harbor, Maryland, south of Washington, D.C. The champion will receive $50,000 and the Scripps Cup, the official trophy of the bee.
A band with Madison roots was playing family gigs, until TikTok found them

Mar 14, 2024 | madison.com | Melissa Perry

For years, the band NaturoSynth wrote songs, rehearsed and performed at family parties. Then a couple of viral TikTok videos changed the trajectory of the up-and-coming band with Madison roots. “TikTok was a perfect way to reach the audience that likes our kind of music,” said Kieran Gopal, lead vocalist for the alternative band NaturoSynth.
Dear Black Future asks people to sum up their hopes in just 4 words

Mar 12, 2024 | madison.com | Melissa Perry

A visiting artist is challenging Madison residents to distill their hopes for Madison’s Black community into four-word notes. Marlon F. Hall, who is an artist-in-residence at UW-Madison, said the idea behind the Dear Black Future project is to collect as many letters as possible, all written with just four words, to detail aspirations for the Black community. How to participateMarlon F. Hall is actively collecting Dear Black Future letters in Madison.
He teaches lightsaber classes, she teaches burlesque fitness. And they're in love

Mar 5, 2024 | journaltimes.com | Melissa Perry

Melissa Olson and Brian Duckwitz are far from your average couple. Please subscribe to continue reading… Video Player is loading. Current Time 0:02Duration 0:02Remaining Time -0:00Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. “She's inspired me to take some risks that I'm not inherently prone to.” Love Funny Wow Sad Angry
He teaches lightsaber classes, she teaches burlesque fitness. And they're in love

Mar 5, 2024 | lacrossetribune.com | Melissa Perry

Melissa Olson and Brian Duckwitz are far from your average couple. Please subscribe to continue reading… Video Player is loading. Current Time 0:00Duration 0:02Remaining Time -0:02Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. “She's inspired me to take some risks that I'm not inherently prone to.” Love Funny Wow Sad Angry
He teaches lightsaber classes, she teaches burlesque fitness. And they're in love

Mar 5, 2024 | madison.com | Melissa Perry

Melissa Olson and Brian Duckwitz are far from your average couple. Olson is a burlesque fitness class instructor and Duckwitz teaches a lightsaber class. When the Blue Mounds couple met on the dating app Tinder nearly three years ago during the pandemic, both of them were freshly divorced and not looking for a serious relationship. They got serious fast. Now the pair is engaged, and within the past year, both of them have started one-of-a-kind movement classes throughout the Madison area.
United Way of Dane County raises $16.8 million from fundraising campaign

Mar 4, 2024 | madison.com | Melissa Perry

With contributions from more than 16,000 individuals and 500 businesses, the United Way of Dane County raised $16.8 million in its 2023 Community Fundraising Campaign. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts On Friday, the United Way hosted a community celebration at Monona Terrace, which drew more than 500 attendees.
United Way of Dane County raises $16.8 million from fundraising campaign

Mar 4, 2024 | madison.com | Melissa Perry

With contributions from over 16,000 individuals and 500 businesses, the United Way of Dane County raised $16.8 million in its 2023 Community Fundraising Campaign. Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts On Friday, the United Way hosted a community celebration at Monona Terrace, which drew in over 500 attendees.
Gardeners: Get the garden ready, but don't plant anything yet

Feb 27, 2024 | madison.com | Melissa Perry

Despite the unseasonably warm temperatures, experts say gardeners should wait longer before planting for the upcoming spring season. “I think it’s way too early, especially given the history of the region,” said Dahlia Susel, a greenhouse grower for Felly’s Flowers and Garden Center.
Wisconsin's first Black mayor continues to serve the Madison area

Feb 19, 2024 | madison.com | Melissa Perry

Editor’s note: February is Black History Month, and the Wisconsin State Journal is highlighting women and men who blazed trails in their fields to have a positive impact on Madison. Frances Huntley-Cooper broke barriers when she was elected mayor of Fitchburg in 1991, making her the first African American mayor in Wisconsin’s history. “That was not something that I sought after. I was in a position and had an opportunity,” said Huntley-Cooper, 72. “I had no idea what I was doing at the time.