Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1523387
8 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2024 Nolan's Notes by Nolan Johnson, I-CONNECT007 Plenty to Say About Certification Certifications, as it turns out, come in some of the most unexpected places. MIT, for example, known for producing some of the top scientific minds in the United States, also has a program for pirates. We hope it's just an idea meant to bring a bit of levity to what can be a fairly demanding and exacting institution of higher learning. MIT's campus is located in the Port district of historic Boston, so it's easy to imagine privateers and scurvy sailors roaming the cobblestone streets near the MIT campus, possibly hobbling on a wooden leg, one eye covered with a patch, and stumbling along with a bottle of rum. So, it seems quite appropriate MIT now offers a "pirate certificate" designed to recognize a student's completion of the undergraduate physical education and wellness requirements. To become certified, students must complete courses in archery, fencing, pistol/rifle, and sailing. As we surmised, the certification is purely for entertainment purposes and does not give the recipient a license to engage in piracy or any pirate activities. Bad news for Jack Sparrow if he were looking for some fellow marauders. So, let's turn our attention to the electronics manufacturing industry where certifications