The Dartmouth Independent
Avery Chen

Avery Chen

Tech & Policy Reporter

Avery Chen is a sophomore from San Jose, California, majoring in Computer Science. An active member of the Asian Students Association, she brings an analytical, data-driven perspective to her coverage of technology, policy, and issues of representation on campus. Her writing focuses on systems, numbers, and logical analysis while maintaining accessibility for all readers.

avery@dartmouthindependent.com

Covers: Technology, Policy, Data, Campus

Articles by Avery Chen (16)

Main Street Kitchens to close Feb. 14 after nearly 30 years in Hanover
Campus

Main Street Kitchens to close Feb. 14 after nearly 30 years in Hanover

Main Street Kitchens, a long-running cookware and specialty food shop in Hanover, will close on Feb. 14 after nearly three decades in business, according to a statement posted on the store’s Facebook page. In a statement posted on the store’s website, owners Dave and Kaitlyn Barrette said they are closing the store to focus on their family. The closure marks the end of a business that, according to the store’s website, first opened in 1997 and has served Upper Valley customers looking for cooking and baking supplies, holiday products and specialty foods. The Barrettes bought the shop in 2018. Dave

Dartmouth Peak Performance team expands behind-the-scenes support for athletes
Campus

Dartmouth Peak Performance team expands behind-the-scenes support for athletes

When a Dartmouth student-athlete suffers a concussion, athletic trainers alert academic support staff to help arrange testing accommodations. Mental performance coaches reach out, and nutritionists adjust fueling plans for upcoming travel. Those steps are part of the day-to-day work of Dartmouth Peak Performance, a 31-person support team that serves more than 900 varsity student-athletes. The program, often referred to as DP2, has become a central piece of how Dartmouth Athletics delivers services that go beyond training and competition. According to executive associate athletics director Austin Driggers, who joined Dartmouth in February 2024 to lead the program, DP2 is built around

Hanover Considers Short-Term Rental Bylaw to Address Housing Pressures
Campus

Hanover Considers Short-Term Rental Bylaw to Address Housing Pressures

The Hanover Planning Board is reviewing a proposed bylaw to regulate short-term rentals (STRs), aiming to address concerns around housing affordability, availability, and neighborhood character. The bylaw, introduced at a public hearing on April 16, outlines new requirements for property owners listing homes on platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo. If approved, the measure would be brought before voters at the annual Town Meeting in May 2024. The bylaw would require owners operating short-term rentals for more than 120 days per year to obtain a special use permit from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Rentals for fewer than 120 days would

Dartmouth Notifies Thousands After Data Breach Exposes Personal Information
Campus

Dartmouth Notifies Thousands After Data Breach Exposes Personal Information

Dartmouth College has begun notifying more than 40,000 individuals in the Twin States whose personal information may have been exposed in a cybersecurity breach that occurred in early August. The college began sending letters last week detailing the incident and offering credit monitoring services to affected individuals. The breach stemmed from a vulnerability in Oracle’s eBusiness Suite, a widely used enterprise resource planning platform. A ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the attack, which reportedly affected over 100 organizations. Dartmouth confirmed that an “unauthorized actor” accessed its systems over a three-day period and downloaded files containing names, Social Security numbers,

New Hampshire Moves Forward with First Bitcoin-Backed Municipal Bond
Culture

New Hampshire Moves Forward with First Bitcoin-Backed Municipal Bond

New Hampshire is set to become the first state to issue a municipal bond backed by Bitcoin, following approval by the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority (BFA) Board of Directors. The $100 million bond issuance reflects a growing effort to integrate digital assets into traditional capital markets without exposing state funds or taxpayers to financial risk. The bond structure was designed by Wave Digital Assets, a firm specializing in digital asset investment infrastructure, in collaboration with Rosemawr Management, an alternative investment adviser with a focus on municipal and sustainable infrastructure. BitGo Trust, a digital asset custodian regulated in the U.S.,

New Hampshire Approves $100M Bitcoin-Backed Municipal Bond
Culture

New Hampshire Approves $100M Bitcoin-Backed Municipal Bond

New Hampshire’s Business Finance Authority has approved a $100 million municipal bond backed by Bitcoin, marking what appears to be the first such arrangement sanctioned by a U.S. state authority. Meeting minutes from November 17 and 18 show that the state’s Business Finance Authority (BFA), which facilitates public and private investment projects, gave preliminary approval for issuing a taxable conduit revenue bond for WaveRose Depositor, LLC. The bond will be collateralized with Bitcoin and structured to allow institutional borrowers to raise capital against cryptocurrency held with a private custodian. The bond is not funded or insured by the state or

Meta Launches Tool to Help Facebook Creators Protect Reels from Misuse
Culture

Meta Launches Tool to Help Facebook Creators Protect Reels from Misuse

Meta has introduced a new content protection tool aimed at helping Facebook creators safeguard their original video reels from unauthorized use. The mobile-based feature, launched this week, is designed to identify when a reel published by a creator is being reused without permission across Facebook or Instagram. Eligible creators who are notified of such reuse will have several options. They can block the unauthorized reel’s visibility on both platforms, monitor its performance, or add an attribution label that links back to their original content. Alternatively, they can opt to release their claim, allowing the content to remain live without interference.

Dartmouth Reports 10.8% Endowment Return, Trails Other Ivies in 2025
Campus

Dartmouth Reports 10.8% Endowment Return, Trails Other Ivies in 2025

Dartmouth College’s endowment posted a 10.8% investment return for the 2025 fiscal year, an improvement over its 8.4% return the prior year but the lowest performance among Ivy League peers. The return was discussed during the College’s October Board of Trustees meeting, where officials also reported the endowment’s total value had grown from $8.3 billion to nearly $9 billion. The endowment supports a significant portion of Dartmouth’s annual budget. This year, it distributed $453 million to the College, representing around 5.5% of its total value and accounting for roughly 30% of Dartmouth’s operating expenses. That spending rate exceeds the 5%

Trump Suggests $2,000 Tariff Dividend Amid Government Shutdown Talks
Culture

Trump Suggests $2,000 Tariff Dividend Amid Government Shutdown Talks

Former President Donald Trump floated a proposal over the weekend to distribute a $2,000 dividend to most Americans, funded by tariff revenues, as part of a broader dialogue over federal spending and health care policy. Trump made the statements across multiple posts on his Truth Social platform on Saturday and Sunday. The proposal comes during an ongoing government shutdown and as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs arguments over presidential tariff authority. In one post, Trump said he was recommending to Senate Republicans that funds currently allocated to insurance companies under the Affordable Care Act be redirected directly to individuals. He

OpenAI Urges U.S. to Expand Tax Incentives for AI Infrastructure Projects
Culture

OpenAI Urges U.S. to Expand Tax Incentives for AI Infrastructure Projects

OpenAI is asking the federal government to broaden its financial support for artificial intelligence infrastructure, according to a recent letter from the company to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The request seeks to make AI data centers and related components eligible for federal tax credits through a program currently focused on semiconductor manufacturing. The letter, dated October 27 and authored by Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, was addressed to OSTP Director Michael Kratsios. In it, the company argued that the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (AMIC)—a 35% tax credit originally intended for semiconductor fabrication—should be

After Four Years, Dunk’s Closes Its Doors as Hanover Reconsiders Nightlife
Culture

After Four Years, Dunk’s Closes Its Doors as Hanover Reconsiders Nightlife

The closure of Dunk’s Sports Grill at 7 Lebanon Street represents more than the end of a local bar. It reflects a broader set of economic, social, and behavioral dynamics that have reshaped the hospitality sector in college towns like Hanover. Owner Tony Barnett, a longtime figure in the Upper Valley restaurant scene, confirmed that he sold the business to prioritize family commitments. His decision, while personal, coincides with measurable trends in alcohol consumption, student nightlife preferences, and post-pandemic business sustainability. Barnett launched Dunk’s in 2021, replacing Salt Hill Pub during a period of uncertainty for the restaurant industry. The

Microsoft 365 Failure Disrupts U.S. Institutions
Tech

Microsoft 365 Failure Disrupts U.S. Institutions

On October 29, a significant service disruption affected Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 platforms, interrupting access for thousands of users across the United States. The outage, which began shortly before noon Eastern Time, was confirmed by multiple monitoring services and acknowledged by Microsoft through its Azure status page. Although the company reported taking corrective action within the hour, the incident raised broader concerns about the reliability of cloud infrastructure and the systemic vulnerabilities that accompany centralized digital services. Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 are foundational components of enterprise and institutional computing. Azure supports a wide array of cloud-based applications, including

Beyond the Checkpoint: Facial Recognition and the Future of Border Control
Tech

Beyond the Checkpoint: Facial Recognition and the Future of Border Control

The United States government has expanded its use of facial recognition technology in immigration enforcement, triggering renewed debate over privacy, surveillance, and civil liberties. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through its sub-agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has reportedly integrated facial recognition tools into a broader set of biometric tracking systems. These developments mark a significant shift in how immigration policy intersects with emerging technologies, raising questions about oversight, accuracy, and the long-term implications for immigrant communities. According to internal documents and recent disclosures, ICE has partnered with private technology vendors to deploy facial recognition software across multiple platforms.

Code, Caution, and Control: Why Tesla’s Autopilot Is Facing Its Largest Federal Probe Yet
Tech

Code, Caution, and Control: Why Tesla’s Autopilot Is Facing Its Largest Federal Probe Yet

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a formal investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system, targeting over 28 million vehicles equipped with the company’s proprietary driver assistance software. The probe centers on whether Tesla’s Autopilot contributes to traffic violations when engaged, particularly in scenarios where drivers may rely on the system to navigate complex traffic environments. This inquiry marks a significant escalation in regulatory scrutiny of autonomous driving technologies, raising questions about the intersection of software design, driver behavior, and public safety. At the core of the investigation is a pattern of incidents in which Tesla vehicles allegedly committed

Dartmouth Ranks Highest in Ivy League for Free Speech, According to FIRE Report
Campus

Dartmouth Ranks Highest in Ivy League for Free Speech, According to FIRE Report

Dartmouth College has emerged as the Ivy League’s highest-ranked institution for free speech, according to the 2026 report released by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. The report, which evaluates 257 colleges and universities nationwide, placed Dartmouth 35th overall, a significant improvement from its previous ranking of 224th. This advancement reflects a series of policy changes and institutional decisions that have reshaped the College’s approach to freedom of expression. The FIRE ranking system is based on survey data collected from over 68,000 students across the country. It assesses multiple dimensions of campus speech climate, including tolerance for controversial speakers,

California’s Energy Crossroads: AI Expansion and the Ratepayer Dilemma
Tech

California’s Energy Crossroads: AI Expansion and the Ratepayer Dilemma

California’s electric grid is undergoing a transformation that few anticipated would arrive so quickly. At the center of this shift is Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a utility that has emerged from bankruptcy into a period of unprecedented growth. The catalyst is artificial intelligence, or more precisely, the data centers that power it. These facilities, which require immense and continuous electricity to operate, are proliferating across the state. PG&E’s response has been to embrace this surge in demand, positioning itself as a key infrastructure provider for the AI economy. But as the utility scales up its grid to accommodate