I don't think it would be intended to put the skewer through, that was an entry-level bike and there's no way specialized would consider it something for hard-core riding, plus it doesn't make sense. The axle still needs to be in the dropout, you'd have to spread the stays apart to put your wheel in... it just doesn't make sense that it would have anything to do with the wheel mounting. My guess is they were transitioning from horizontal dropouts and for some reason that year what they had was those things- horizontal dropouts that are partially filled in.
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fun facts:
Psychopaths have trouble understanding abstract concepts.
"Incompetent individuals, compared with their more competent peers, will dramatically overestimate their ability and performance relative to objective criteria."