India Slodki/The Broadside

College students are notorious for staying up into the wee hours of the morning. Whether due to an all-night study session, or just losing track of time with friends, most college kids are familiar with single-digit timestamps. 

Most recently, the kids in Wickiup Hall have found jigsaw puzzles eating up their free time, often holding students’ interest until the early hours of the morning. Their dedication and newfound interest in the unusual hobby have turned heads around campus.

“It’s kind of always been a thing,” said Eliot Warner, a resident of Wickiup Hall. “It probably took off like two weeks ago.” Warner recalls seeing puzzles floating around since week one, but it only started gaining traction a few weeks ago. 

Keilani Sprague, also a resident of Wickiup Hall, found that as time went on, more and more people found their way over to the jigsaw puzzle table, whether as a way to kill time or to meet new people. 

“I’d gone down with my roommate and we were working on a puzzle. We were getting really into it,” Sprague said. “Then I saw some other people going down for a bunch of hours, working on it into the night like we were.”

In a world where genuine human connection comes few and far between, jigsaw puzzles have served to connect the residents of Wickiup Hall, creating a common goal and interest. 

“People are joining together,  they’re building community,” Sprague said. “Yeah, it’s kind of bonding people” From midwest landscapes to dancing alligators, the subject of these puzzles is the least relevant piece of the puzzle. (haha, get it?) The big picture? Forging bonds with those around you.