Pity the poor interns. It's about this time every year that one begins reading articles that warn about the coming summer crop by comparing them to a descending swarm of locusts. It's grossly unfair. Okay, sure — it's true that they'll soon be here, covering every available outdoor surface, their mandibles clicking unpleasantly in the still night air. And yes, there'll be a certain "swarming" quality to the proceedings, as they form a furious and terrifying economy of light beer, credit card receipts and bodily fluids.

But this is just one phase of their lives. Someday soon they'll escape from their khaki carapaces and emerge, glistening, into a world desperate for law school applicants and not-yet-embittered nonprofit sector employees. And let's face it: they serve an unglamorous but vital function in the D.C. social ecosystem, as hipsters gobble up these bright-eyed kids' self-respect like so many hungry, t-shirt-clad birds.

So we're glad that Campus Progress is taking steps to marshall and preserve this precious natural resource. Just like last year, this summer's progressive-minded interns will be able to turn to the CP blog Social Capital to find ways to spend their time in Washington.

They'll be kicking things off this Thursday at Ventnor Sports Café in Adams Morgan. There'll be drink specials, free beer and food, and maybe — just maybe — an opportunity to write your email address down on a clipboard. All ages are welcome, but you'll need a plausible ID if you want to drink. The proceedings begin at 7 p.m.