Alanna Marshall

Freelance Journalist

WOSU Public Media •

Garrett Morgan’s long road to inventing the modern-day traffic light

Garrett Morgan was born in 1877 in Paris, Kentucky. His parents were Sydney Morgan and Elizabeth Reed, who were both formerly enslaved.Morgan left his family’s farm at the age of 14 and moved to Cincinnati with many ideas of what he could accomplish. He did this armed with only a 6th-grade education. Taking a job at a sewing machine factory, he became curious about how he could improve the machinery. His first invention was a belt fastener that helped the machines run more efficiently.Mary Oluon...
Cincinnati CityBeat •

Weston Art Gallery Exhibit Brings New Meaning to Found Objects

“It's a very solitary life, being an artist,” Richard W. James tells CityBeat. As an assistant professor in the ceramics program at Miami University and an award-winning artist, James has dedicated much of his life to his career. Since he started working with ceramics in 1996, he has incorporated found objects into his work to represent influences from his upbringing. Quilts, fabrics, wood, furniture, instruments of different sizes and various other objects can be found in many of James’ works,...
Cincinnati CityBeat •

Cincinnati Author Explores Electronic Music History in 'The Radio Phonics Laboratory'

Justin Patrick Moore published his first full-length novel, The Radio Phonics Laboratory, in June of this year. In it, Moore takes readers on a deep dive into the timeline of electronic music and speech synthesis, examining the historical figures and inventions that have paved the way for technology to be where it is today through the scope of music and telecommunications.  



“It explores my lifelong fascination with radio, the telephone system and how these two things interacted to create...
Cincinnati CityBeat •

Cincinnati’s Talk Low Music Festival Wants to Change the Way We Listen to Experimental Music

The Talk Low Music Festival is bringing five days of experimental music to Cincinnati this month, spanning three local venues and featuring artists from all over the world. The festival’s objective is to create a unique context for deep listening.

“Deep listening has an academic context, which means a way of listening to music that treats all sound as inherently musical,” says Ryan Hall, who runs Whited Sepulchre Records, the Cincinnati-based record label presenting the festival.

Hall has pl...
Cincinnati CityBeat •

Review: Chappell Roan Creates a Safe Space for Queer Joy

Strutting onto the stage at the Big Four Bridge Lawn in a floor-length blaring red gown —  inspired by the character “Divine,” the famous drag queen who appeared in the cult sensation Pink Flamingos — Chappell Roan knew exactly what she was doing. The singer regularly pays homage to the queer and drag communities through her music and performances, stressing the importance of providing safe spaces for queer people where they can enjoy themselves and love freely. This is exactly what she set out...
The News Record •

Off the Record: Beyoncé Deserved Her ‘Best Country Album’ Win

Following the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, there has been constant discourse surrounding Beyoncé’s win of Best Country Album for “Cowboy Carter.”Up against Chris Stapleton, Kacey Musgraves, Lainey Wilson and Post Malone, Beyoncé herself was visually shocked by the announcement of her name as the winner of the category.The buzz on social media, however — specifically X, (formerly known as Twitter) has centered around whether the album “deserved” the Grammy win, as many argue that ‘C...
The News Record •

Off the Record | “Wicked” exceeded everyone’s expectations

In the months leading up to the release of the movie musical adaptation of “Wicked,” musical theater buffs and general moviegoers alike were buzzing with excitement and anticipation of whether the film would live up to everyone’s expectations. Plenty of people had expressed their doubts based on the trailer alone, which is bound to happen with the long-awaited release of a project with this level of grandeur.With Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo starring alongside each other on the big screen, gr...
The News Record •

Off the record: Album review: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS

Bad Bunny’s newest album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS  (DTMF) (“I should have taken more pictures”)  has won over the public and critics alike since its release on Jan. 5, 2024.   Dripping with Puerto Rican heritage and culture, DTMF pays homage to the struggles that Boricuas have experienced historically regarding things like the political reality of Puerto Rico, colonization, tourism’s effects on the island and the importance of resistance through music.  With the political themes that the album prov...
The News Record •

The Center for English as a Second Language helps International UC Students overcome barriers

Take a left at the end of the hallway on the sixth floor of the Teachers-Dyer Complex, and that’s where you’ll find the University of Cincinnati’s (UC) Center for English as a Second Language (CESL). The CESL office is a hub for international undergraduate and graduate students on campus, offering English as a Second Language courses and language assessment services to students of any background to help them overcome language barriers and achieve their academic goals. “What's really a game chang...
Visual Merchandising and Store Design •

Casa Foa, Córdoba, Argentina

FOR THE FIRST TIME in Córdoba, Argentina’s renowned interior design showcase, Casa FOA, unveiled its 38th exhibition. Ensemble Business Group (Los Angeles) was invited, in collaboration with furniture retailer Johnson Amoblamientos Domum, to craft the largest kitchen and café area achievable. The team approached various artisans and suppliers to partake in creating a warm environment where CASA FOA guests could gather and socialize.

Starting roughly 38 years ago, Casa FOA has taken over dilapid

About Me

Alanna is a fourth-year student at the University of Cincinnati, where she is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in Spanish. 

She is currently a freelance writer for CityBeat magazine. She is a General Reporter at The News Record, UC's independent student news publication. She also serves as President/Treasurer of UC's student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She spent the summer of 2023 as the Editorial Intern at VMSD magazine.