She went to school. And she went to school again for a master's. She graduated. Then, with a master's in journalism in hand, she hit the job market. But an education, and a job, doesn't necessarily equal financial stability. Yasmine was facing student loans and credit card debt — she was stuck in a cycle of money anxiety.

Solange's third studio album, A Seat at the Table, is defiantly honest, strong and unapologetically black, but a softness underlies it. As implied by the title, it is, after all, an invitation. The album opens with "Rise," a melodic anthem that feels simple and meditative in its lyrical repetition, but "Weary" gets right to the point, exploring the weight she feels for inhabiting a black body and the prejudice she faces every day in her attempt to live and belong.

For 19-year-old Nadia Ebrahim, it was overwhelming to decide what to believe in this year’s federal election. The Ryerson student voted for the first time at the advanced polling station available on campus earlier this month. “For me, it was better to talk to people who were on the same political page as me to see what they were about, and then go online to see what all the other stuff was about and compare,” she said.

Following Edward Snowden is now only a click away. A few days ago Snowden broke the Internet by joining the social media platform. Ryerson professor Alvner Levin, who specializes in online privacy and social media, said he thinks Snowden wants to be in the news. “He has stated his purpose that he wants to be out there, and he wants other people to want to be able to follow him without limitation” Levin said.

On a cool Wednesday evening, in a small auditorium at the University of Toronto’s Multi-Faith Centre, a group of primarily 20-somethings quietly make their way inside. At first glance, one could easily mistake the three black women for old friends. There is laughter and wide smiles. It is Garza’s first time in Canada speaking on the movement that she co-founded with the start of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

When I ask my 58-year-old manmie (mom) about the last time she felt beautiful, happy and feminine at the same time, she pauses and tells me she was 31. She tells me it was after giving birth to her first children. She doesn’t tell me about a time between then and now. And I am left to imagine what it was like for the moments in-between.

With only hours to go until the biggest frosh concert held on Ryerson campus, rumours are swirling: will Drake make an appearance? Anxious students have taken to Twitter in anticipation of tonight’s concert, many gloating with Ram pride. York gets Big Sean Ryerson gets future and probably Drake… We get Dragonette and Scott Smid's cousin.

The Eephus feels as if 1980s funk decided to wear a shiny 2015 leather jacket. With an electrifying blast of bass riffs and backup singers, listeners are welcomed to a record that feels like a futuristic basement party. Deep Cotton, the Atlanta duo made up of Chuck Lighting and Nate "Rocket" Wonder manage to deliver a Wondaland entrance that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.

Last night (August 13), a crop of 17 fresh-faced young female musicians took to the stage at Mod Club to showcase their talent at Honey Jam's 20th anniversary showcase in Toronto. From soaring pop ballads to soul to country to DJing, the annual showcase proved that Honey Jam has a knack for attracting diverse and multi-genre Canadian talent.

Toronto's emergency shelters have been operating at near capacity this summer, according to the Daily Shelter Census. The statistics are troubling, observers say, given that the summer has thus far been largely temperate. Advocates for the homeless warn that fluctuating weather — such as the conditions Toronto saw earlier in the year — can be dangerous.

President Barack Obama's use of a racial epithet in an interview with Marc Maron of the WTF podcast has reignited the ongoing debate on the use of the N-word. The comment came when Obama was speaking about the legacy of slavery on present-day America. Obama explained that systemic discrimination is "still part of our DNA."

An online petition is putting pressure on the U.S. government to use its influence to stop the deportation of hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrants and citizens of Haitian descent living in the Dominican Republic. The petition is calling on the White House to pressure the Dominican Republic government to stop its planned deportation of Haitian-born Dominicans.