Visiting students to build futures but apparently not air conditioners

Ever wonder what it would be like if Lowe’s put on a carnival? Hey Johnny, you know what’s more fun than riding the tilt-a-whirl? Building the tilt-a-whirl with your own Craftsman hammer! Lumber’s this way. … That’s what visiting the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference was like today (and will be like through Friday).

According to the SkillsUSA Web site, more than 14,000 students, teachers and education leaders are swarming downtown. That includes reps from 1,100 national corporations, trade associations, businesses and labor unions. Every one of these people are wearing red blazers, by the way, just in case you’ve been around 13th Street, scratching your head over why someone would dress like that in 92 degree heat.