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By Jennifer Braun
Answer: PAVING TILE

With many thanks to Dennis Collins, Director of Residential Life and Capital Renovations at MIT, who followed me around for a day.

These are all paths through the 11 undergraduate dorms at MIT. Solvers need to figure out which dorm is which and use the internet and the dorm floor plans (available with Kerberos access at mit.edu) to trace the path followed to the suspect’s room. Take the indicated numbers of the room, convert to letters and sort by dorm name to spell the answer: PAVING TILE.

ClipBuildingRoomGiven IndicesExtracted NumberLetter
3Baker House5162, 316P
7Burton Conner31221A
10East Campus2121, 322V
6MacGregor21939I
5Maseeh41012, 114N
1McCormick21737G
2New House2061, 220T
8Next House35939I
9Random Hall2122, 312L
4Senior House41535E
11Simmons

The following insights might help solvers who struggle to figure out which recording corresponds to which dorm:

  • The front desk or “desk” of each dorm is often located close to the main entrance and it is usually labeled on the floorpan with OFF or OFFICE.
  • The following dorms could be said to be separated into sections: East Campus, Burton Conner, New House, McGregor, Simmons.
  • Did you know that East Campus has an underground tunnel connecting the two parallels? Neat!

A transcript of each clip and a map of the starting path within each dorm are shown below.

Clip 1

“All points bulletin, we’re tracking the suspect in through the main entrance. They made a left and are heading to the closest stairwell. Up two floors, made a right out of the stairs, another right through the first door, left at the end and a left into the stairs. Down three floors. Left out of the stairs, through the door, a right and then a left down the hallway, through a door and keeping straight to just before the end and made a left into the stairs. Up two floors. Out of the stairs, and diagonally right into the room across the hall. We’ve got them now!”
3
(Room 217 - Conference Room) McCormick - 7 - G

Clip 2

“Criminal entered building through entrance closest to the desk. Made a right and ran all the way down the hall and in the farthest door on the right. In the door three doors on the right into the stairwell. Up two floors. Made a left into the hall. Another left, through the door, a right at the first junction then in the first door on the left. Down one floor, out the door into the hallway, went right and another right at the junction and then into the door of the room straight ahead at the end of the hall. We’ve got them now!”
1, 2
(Room 206 - House 2) New House - 20 - T

Clip 3

“Following suspect into the building through the main entrance, straight up a small flight of stairs then around to the left and up another small flight of stairs to the landing. Looks like they made a left through the double doors. In pursuit up to the 3rd floor. Left through the door into the hallway, then turning right, following the corridor, through the lounge to the emergency stairwell at the end of the hall. Up two floors, out into the hall and into the second double on the right. We’ve got them now!”
2, 3
(Room 516) - Baker House - 16 - P

Clip 4

“I’m following the suspect in the courtyard entrance to the lobby and bearing left to the elevator. Looks like they took it up as far as they could. Made a left out of the elevator, curved around to the left and down one floor. They turned right out of the stairs, straight through a door, following the hallway right then a left and a left into the first door on the left . . . well, you gotta do what you gotta do. We’ve got them now!”
3
(Room 415 - Bathroom) Senior House - 5 - E

Clip 5

“In pursuit of suspect heading in to the main entrance. Making a right, up some stairs and then another right into a stairwell. Up two floors. Left out of the stairs and straight down the hall and made a right into another stairwell and up one floor. Left out of the stairs and down the corridor, a right before the next set of stairs and straight through. Left at the end of the hall, through the door and in the room straight ahead. We’ve got them now!”
2, 1
(Room 4101) Maseeh Hall - 14 - N

Clip 6

“Our suspect went down the outdoor stairs and has entered the main lobby on the left. Straight to the end, then a right down a long corridor. Another right all the way through two doors to the next lobby and up the stairs on the left until they stop. Out the door, make a left, straight through another door, then in the second door on the right and down the corridor. Right at the end of the hall and straight through two doors and up one floor. Making a left out of the stairs, then a left at the next hall, straight through the door, down the hall to the stairs on the left. Into the stairwell, out of the stairwell and straight ahead. They’re cornered! We’ve got them now!”
3
(Room 219 - Lounge, H Entry) MacGregor - 9 - I

Clip 7

“Perpetrator has entered the building from the center entrance of the right most courtyard on the river side. Made a left around the door and down the hallway to the staircase on the left and went up one floor. They made a left, straight into the old dining hall, around the columns, another left, through a janitors closet, and jig left and straight down the hall to the stairs on the right. Down one floor, a left out of the stairs then a right down the hall, through the double doors, then immediately made a right, heading around with the stairs on your left then another right and a left into the stair well. Up three floors, made a right into the corridor, around the corner, through the double doors and in the first door on the right. We’ve got them now!”
2
(Suite 312) Burton Conner - 1 - A

Clip 8

“Suspect has entered through the main door, headed straight to the left of the desk, through the lounge, up the ramp and up the elevator to the 3rd floor. Straight out of the elevator, a right at the end of the hall and in the second door on the left past the stairs. We’ve got them now!”
3
(Room 359) Next House - 9 - I

Clip 9

“Tailing suspect in the right front entrance, turned right into the lounge and through two doors to the back stairs. Up two floors, made a right out of the stairs, following the corridor, through to the opposite side of the building, left through the lounge, into the stairwell, down one floor, out of the door on the right and into the second room on the left. We’ve got them now!”
2, 3
(Room 212) Random Hall - 12 - L

Clip 10

“The suspect entered the building through the door by the desk. They made a quick left and went down one floor. Made a left then a quick left and another left before a right through the door and straight down the hall. Made a tight right 180 at the end and went up two floors. Suspect made a left down the hall, through into the next section and in the fourth room on the left. We’ve got them now!”
1, 3
(Room 212 - 2nd East, Bemis) East Campus - 22 - V

Clip 11

“The suspect went into the front entrance and . . . you know what? No. I’m not following them in there. Just no. That’s it. I’m done.”
Simmons