You're walking past the HUB on your way to class and you know you've seen that guy in the blue jacket somewhere before. If it's Mark Price, you may have seen him in a University recruitment film.

Price (junior-aerospace engineering) appeared in a University recruitment film two years ago while attending Penn State's Altoona Campus. Price said he was chosen for the film through his involvement with Campus Ambassadors.

"Once or twice (strangers) have said, 'Aren't you the guy from the film?' " Price said. "I'd forgotten about it until the other day when a friend called and said they had just seen me in the movie."

The movie, one of two recruitment films shown to prospective students by the Admission's Office, is a video tour of the Commonwealth campus system shown to students who have been offered admission to one of the University's 17 Commonwealth campuses, Behrend or Capital colleges, he said. The other film focuses on University Park.

Scenes of the Mall in spring, the football team and students relaxing in sunny weather on the HUB lawn are featured in the movies.

"The films are a very integral part of our recruitment because students are so sophisticated now," said Jim McCoy, director of marketing and recruitment, who noted the films are shown to visiting students throughout the fall, early spring and late summer. Prospective out-of-state students may view the films at University alumni clubs, he said.

Although both of the films currently used are only two years old, the University has utilized movies for recruitment since 1976, McCoy said. Before then, students saw a slide show, he added.

Besides the films made by the Admissions Office, many of the University's colleges have made films to promote their schools to students visiting the campus and to high school students who have been accepted at the University.

The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences completed one such film last spring, said Gary Burkle, director of the college's advising center, noting a copy of the film has been sent to every high school guidance department in Pennsylvania.

The film has a more serious tone than traditional recruitment films, he said.

"There's no football, no Blue Band, no fraternity houses. The music is serious," Burkle said. "We really wanted it to be about the programs and the college."