Since Nate Scimio, a student at Franklin Regional High School where a 16 year old sophomore student, Alex Hribio went about indiscriminately stabbing fellow students, posted a selfie of himself recovering at the hospital after helping bringing Hribio’s apprehension, Nate Scimio has found himself being widely condemned. Widely condemned by the very vehicle he chose to share his almost too unbelievable and lucky still to be alive moment with- social media.
At first, twitter and instagram (@nate_scimio on instagram) were in unison with the young man who had lunged between Alex Hrbio and a female student that Hrbio was motioning for. At the time he would stave off the assailant as he sounded off the alarms, helping alert authorities and fellow classmates as to the danger at the school.
Nevertheless some social media users were somehow turned off that a young man had taken to posting an image/selfie of the event, of the dire straits consequences of being involved in a life or death situation. Some thought it was out of place, spoke of a misguided vanity or ego of Nate Scimio (the self congratulating grin and acknowledgement that he’s the shit had me ruefully smiling for hours long after it first came out).
Opined some:
Sad that survivors need to take “I survived “selfie photos just to attend high school these days! Speedy recovery all around for you and your classmates Nate.
Why is this kid being hailed a hero for pulling the fire alarm? If the attacker had a gun and the fire alarm brought everyone into the hallway, they would have all been targets. He should have run out and called 911.
One thing I’ve learned over the years — it is impossible to underestimate the depths to which the so called “millennials” will sink. Every time I think someone couldn’t possibly do something any stupider than the before I find myself staring at something like this.
Yet to be fair to Nate Scimio, let’s remember, he wasn’t a passerby, a witness casually taking a picture of some chaos where he was far removed from, where he had chosen to take a sharable moment as opposed to help with circumstances at hand. Nate Scimio was the victim himself, was at that very moment fighting for life and death, not just for himself but that of fellow classmates and teachers. To suggest that a hero who stars and slays his own demons ought not record his honorable moment is to deny that hero his wider acknowledgement.
And that in a cusp is what social media has allowed for better or worse, the wider acknowledgment, participation of a situation, a dialogue that was once out of reach for most of us. By virtue of posting the hero selfie, Nate Scimio reminded us that he was a teenager craving attention on one hand, but more importantly reminding us and himself that he was a hero who could have lost his life in defending that of others. A moment that Nate Scimio can reflect on for years to come now that he has a hard copy candid camera moment of it floating on the web.
Alex Hribal parents stunned. Was he bullied by rich white kids?
Does Alex Hribal have a history of mental disease?
Alex Hribal friend and motive: ‘He’s a shy guy who never gets violent.’
Why did Alex Hribal go on a stabbing rampage? Victim of bullying?
Sam King, Franklin Regional HS assistant principal wrestled knife out of 16 year old
Nate Scimio pulls the alarm on Pennsylvania school stabber. Takes hospital selfie
Why were 20 students injured in stabbings at Pennsylvanian high school?
Great you’re okay, but I agree with Koulouris’ statement about the “I’m the shit” sort of air this pic gives across. When I first saw it, I felt it was belittling to Alex, who’s under siege and duress from a psychiatric deficiency that he can’t help. We all know he is. Scimio is a Christian and attends church…are we called by Him to mock and belittle those who transgress us? I’m sure he’s a great kid and he definitely did a great thing. However, then again (no intent to accuse Scimio of this) I’ve seen the heathens that evangelical “non” denominations have bred. Hence why I got the hell out of that and converted to the intellectual light of Roman Catholicism. But then again, who am I to judge what denom he is?
Another thing I’ll point out is the mentioning of the student’s gender that he blocked. It could’ve been a boy or girl, would it have mattered any different either way?? Furthermore, what if it was an Alexia rather than Alex running through the halls with knives? Would she be viewed with more or less enmity as a young woman?
I think his “selfie” is distasteful, inappropriate and 100% self serving. Well, it is called a selfie lol. His little pout and gesture makes me ill. He doesn’t look very traumatized and it lends itself to rumors of the big athletic boys terrorizing Alex Hribal.
This article reads like it was written by a seventh-grader.
He’s pathetic.
He’s a 16 year old kid who jumped in the way and kept a girl from getting stabbed. I wonder how many of these people criticizing him would have done the same. It’s easy to theorize and say what you would do in that situation, but when you’re nose to nose with something like that it’s an entirely different matter. Let the kid ham it up. He isn’t hurting anyone.