10 - Answer(s)

Q: Bill Jeffers - Will this be the year the Sabres bring home Lord Stanley's Cup?
A: Unfortunately, I don't know. More to the point, I won't even hazard a guess at this point in the season. The Sabres have definitely been improving over the past few years. They've got tgot some hot rookies (Jason Pommenville and Ryan Miller, both former Amerks), as well as a solid cast of verterans (Daniel Briere, Chris Drury, and Marty Biron). I think they can compete with the best of the NHL, but as we all know that's not necessarily enough. On a personal level, I certainly hope they win the cup. As a transplanted New Englander, my sports loyalties still lie in that region, but the one exception has been the Sabres (I was a Whalers fan before they moved, and don't really care for the Bruins). So go Sabres!

Q: Jennifer Walden - Why can I 'drop out' of school, but I have to 'quit' my job?
A: The first thing to do is get some definitions, courtesy of Dictionary.com. The definition of "quit" that fits best to your question is "To give up; relinquish." The definition of "drop out" that fits is "to stop attending school or college." So it seems that the initial answer to your question lies in the very difinitions of the words that are used.

But I find this an interesting question, so I'll dig a little deeper. I think that part of the difference in terminology comes from the difference between school and work. "School" is a voluntary activity in which an individual pays money to an organization, and in return the organization educates the individual. "Work" is a voluntary activity in which an organization pays money to an individual, and in return the individual gives worth to the organization.

I see the difference between the two in the expectations of the parties. In the case of work, you (the individual) have obligations to the organization. If you choose not to perform those obligations, then you have quit. The organization will stop paying you because you have stopped adding worth to the organization. In the case of school, you are obligated to pay and to learn. Should you choose to end, then you simply leave. The organization will not be paid, but they will also not be educating you.

I guess the real answer for me lies in another difference between school and work. School is not only an educational institution, but also a care-giving one. When you go to school as a child, then you are under their direct care. When you go to school in college, you often live on campus and are a part of the larger college community. When you choose to leave school prematurely, you are truly "dropping out" of the community. The same cannot be said of work. If you stop working, then you quit. There is a "dropping out", but it's not the same as school.

So those are my thoughts on that subject. I may come back to this question; it's more interesting than I expected. Thanks, Jen!