Eric Baltz, an anatomy teacher at Freedom HS, clanked around his classroom on a recent Friday afternoon, his shackles clinking with each step. He may have been dressed as a prisoner, but it was imperative that he remain in command of the situation, as he was surrounded by zealous students wielding scalpels and attacking sheep brains. In one corner, a salt shaker butchered a hypothalamus. Across the room, a zombie severed a spinal cord, while even Mike Wazowski relished lacerating an oozing cerebellum.

To an outsider, the situation would have looked strange and worrisome, but to Freedom students, this was just a routine scenario that unfolds during the Spirit Week preceding the Liberty-Freedom football game. The week of unusual outfits and elevated excitement kicked off with Costume Day on Friday, and the broad majority of Freedom students participated in the day’s festivities.

Miriam Siddiqui, a senior, dressed as the aforementioned Mike Wazowski, a one-eyed green monster from Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” Three of her closest friends chose corresponding disguises on Friday; Hannah Evans went as Sully, Alexa Reich as Boo, and Amy Radzelovage as Randall. The four of them created their costumes with the help of some last-minute shopping and some good, old-fashioned ingenuity, utilizing Play-Doh, paint, and patchwork to finish their designs. In Miriam’s words, “This is our last Halloween together, so we should go into it together.”

Amy Radzelovage elaborated on Miriam’s explanation. “I dressed up because I wanted to do it with my best friends. Plus, it’s our senior Spirit Week, so I almost felt obligated to do so.”

That sense of finality definitely resonated with many seniors; they all seemed to go above and beyond their previous Halloween preparations in order to generate the maximum level of school enthusiasm. Said senior Derek Schwoyer, who was Superman on Friday, “The best part of Costume Day is inspiring the freshmen to do something! They see seniors participating and want to join in.”

Spirit Week might lend itself to problems with student discipline, but Freedom’s administration makes it very clear that the BASD Code of Conduct is still in effect, and as a result, the number of behavioral infractions stays at a normal level. Assistant Principal Michael DiBilio noted that there is certainly a “high level of energy” amongst the student body over the course of this wild week, but in general, Spirit Week is “a good thing,” because it engenders so much school spirit. “It just keeps the teachers on their toes,” he said.

Other teachersS echoed DiBilio’s sentiment. On the subject of keeping students focused during the week, Enlish teacher Amanda Miranda explained that while “trying to get up there and teach is sometimes difficult,” Spirit Week “breaks up the monotony of the normal school atmosphere.”

Baltz added, “It’s tough, but it’s always good to have a little fun. Spirit Week adds to the morale of our students. mIt’s a part of Freedom Family, and it’s a nice culminating activity for the seniors.”

Baltz said that on Friday as he peeled off his latex gloves, which he had worn as he oversaw the class’s dissection of the sheep brains. The next week, his students would be donning commensurately abnormal attire. On Monday, pajamas. On Wednesday, leis and grass skirts. Thursday would see hordes of identical twins, and Friday would be Freedom Friday, with everyone sporting black and gold.

Friday the 13th was a day of spine-tingling excitement at Freedom (literally, in the sheep’s cases), and the next week promised more of the same.