MIT Pirate Certificate

Fun fact: registration for the classes required for the pirate certificate (sailing, archery, pistol/rifle, fencing) generally run out within a minute of opening.

However, this being at MIT, I was never sure whether this was because of humans or bots.

Re: MIT Pirate Certificate

#5

Post by devjab » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 6:18 PM UTC

askiiart wrote: post #3

> The MIT Pirate Certificate is for entertainment purposes only and does not give the recipient license to engage in piracy or any pirate activities. Jeez, what buzzkills.

I mean, wouldn't it be a privateer certificate if it gave you a license?

Re: MIT Pirate Certificate

#6

Post by eschneider » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 6:20 PM UTC

askiiart wrote: post #3

> The MIT Pirate Certificate is for entertainment purposes only and does not give the recipient license to engage in piracy or any pirate activities. Jeez, what buzzkills.

Eh, you don't need a certificate to engage in piracy. Also, do they have a Highwayman Certificate if you also make the equestrian team? Asking for a friend...

Re: MIT Pirate Certificate

#7

Post by evanb » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 6:37 PM UTC

"If they ever come up with a swashbuckling school I think one of the courses should be laughing, then jumping off something."

-- Jack Handey

I tried to register for pistol every single term and never got in; I think this may be the most difficult obstacle in obtaining MIT's pirate cert.

Re: MIT Pirate Certificate

#8

Post by madars » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 6:42 PM UTC

MIT also famously does not award honorary degrees [1] which restricts its commencement speaker pool. However, commencement speakers can get honorary Pirate Certificates which is way cooler: https://alum.mit.edu/slice/arrrr-mit-pirates-and-matt-damon-...

[1] https://news.mit.edu/2001/commdegrees

Re: MIT Pirate Certificate

#9

Post by philsnow » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 7:02 PM UTC

askiiart wrote: post #3

> The MIT Pirate Certificate is for entertainment purposes only and does not give the recipient license to engage in piracy or any pirate activities. Jeez, what buzzkills.

A certificate says “we are Some Group that Knows about This Stuff and we think that so-and-so is capable of doing pirate-y things”

You’d want a letter of marque for an endorsement of being “allowed” to do pirate-y things. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque

Re: MIT Pirate Certificate

#10

Post by amelius » Thu, Aug 10, 2023, 7:04 PM UTC

Does MIT now have a kindergarten on premises?