Staff Writer
With the finish line in sight and final exams on the horizon, Springfield College students are rightfully feeling a little stressed. Comedian Anton Shuford provided plenty of comic relief on Monday night in the Richard B. Flynn Campus Union with his performance.
In a well-attended Sti-Yu-Ka event, Shuford told jokes regarding how most female Psychology majors are crazy ,to recounting stories like how he accidentally hit a homeless man with his car and how he once stole a foul ball from a child in a wheelchair at a baseball game.
Shuford grew up in Philadelphia and also spent time in Florida. He now lives just outside of New York City and has been performing comedy for nearly nine years.
Shuford did not start off as a comedian though, spending about two years as a teacher. But deep down, he always knew that the stage was where he belonged.
“I think I always knew I wanted to do comedy,” Shuford said. “Doing comedy is one of those things where you’re putting yourself out there on a limb, and for a while, I was just comfortable doing what other people thought I should do. Eventually, it just pulls at you too much because you want to do it and then you just have to make the decision to go do it.”
Shuford has been performing at a lot of colleges recently because of the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA), but he typically does his shows at clubs all over the country. Next month, he will be performing in Minnesota, and he frequently does shows in Atlantic City.
The aforementioned baseball/wheelchair child story was clearly a crowd favorite and is one of Shuford’s favorites to tell.
“I love telling the baseball story. I tell that story because it allows you to be animated, there’s a lot going on in there,” Shuford said. “In my mind, the joke is not just about the physical [of] what’s happening, but it’s also about the mindset of people in that situation. Like, people think you should give the ball to the kid, and I don’t think that’s true.”
When Anton Shuford graced the stage of the Richard B. Flynn Campus Union on Monday night, it was a nice way for many students to take a break from hours of studying. The foul ball story was definitely a favorite, and Shuford had a very interesting view on the whole situation.
“I just think in society, people put pressure on you to do what they think you should do. I don’t really like that. That’s what the joke is really about,” Shuford said.
Victor Barbosa may be reached at vbarbosa@springfieldcollege.edu