The quintessential dorm room familiar from TV shows and slacker comedies is strewn with clothes, books, and CDs, but the typical Columbia dorm room is suspiciously CD-free. Though CD sales have been on the decline ever since Napster introduced mass music file-sharing in the ‘90s, the closing of Kim’s, Morningside Heights’ only record store, and a 30-percent price increase on popular songs on iTunes have both furthered students’ motivation to download music illegally. But getting an album for free can mean risking thousands of dollars and trouble from Columbia—is it really worth it?
