Under Discussion

Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Permit No. 93 Discussion Under An academic vision generated at CMU to tell a story of America through various historical perspectives is attracting millions of viewers internationally. "America from the Ground Up" is a public television series that digs into America's rich past searching for clues of its hidden history. It originally aired on CMU Public Television and is the first WCMU production to ever receive national distribution. In the first five months of its three-year distribution it has aired on more than 110 public television stations throughout the U.S., including major markets such as New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The series also was available in Canada and the United Kingdom. "I hope viewers of this program come away with the sense of the importance of America's archaeological treasures," said archeologist and CMU alumnus Monty Dobson. "We have such a rich historical environment here in the U.S., everything from 'lost' Native American cities like Cahokia to shipwrecks, burial grounds and forts." Making it happen Dobson and CMU history professor Andrew Devenney wrote the documentary, and Pamela Gates, dean of CMU's College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences, had a vision to make it come to life through video. She connected Dobson, who served as the inaugural visiting scholar for CMU's School of Public Service and Global Citizenship, with CMU media producer Dan Bracken. Together, with the help of many resources from across campus, they developed a plan for creating the content. "The thing I enjoyed most was learning to tell a story visually," said Dobson. "I am intrigued by the ability of film and video to transport an audience to a place and time they otherwise would not be able to experience." They shot the series in more than 30 locations throughout North America during the summer and fall of 2013. Experts from universities, museums and Native American tribes all contributed to the storyline, and the project took approximately three years from concept to completion. The series recently was named the best in its category at the Michigan Association of Broadcasters Broadcast Excellence Awards ceremony. • American treasures surface in landmark WCMU production B y H e a t h e r Sm i t h , ' 02, M . S . A . '11

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