Republican red and Democrat blue — that hasn’t always been the case, and a study of both sides of the aisle found that one party liked the other party's color more.

That was part of an intriguing conversation with UW–Madison psychology professor, Dr. Karen Schloss, whose research looks at why we like certain colors, how our experiences shape those preferences and why our favorites can change over time — fall colors, anyone?

Schloss will give a free Badger Talk at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Holmen American Legion, hosted by the Holmen Public Library as part of the Wisconsin Science Festival. Her talk, where the audience can come with questions, will look at the science behind our favorite colors — and why the answer involves more than just personal taste.

On the show, we also get into why the colors of fall can become more appealing as the leaves change and the pumpkin spice flows, how positive and negative experiences shape our color preferences, and what a yellowish-green shade associated with vomit can tell us about why some colors are less popular than others.

In this conversation:

• Why green? Schloss questions why a certain radio hosts might be drawn to a color — and what experiences have to do with it.
• Pumpkin spice: Schloss explains her research into why some people get more drawn to fall colors as the leaves change, while others go the opposite direction?
• The most loved color: There’s a clear favorite in Schloss’s research — and a shade that consistently ranks at the bottom. What makes the difference?
• Can you change someone's favorite color?: Schloss described what happened when her team tried to change people's color preferences in the lab — and whether those changes lasted.
• Colors that communicate: Schloss studies how color helps people make sense of information, from maps and graphs to diagrams — and how the right colors can make those visuals easier to understand.
• Red, politics and blue: While red and blue are affiliated with the two political parties, Schloss did research and found one group actually tends to like the other’s color more.
• Election Day affiliation: Schloss found that people's color preferences became more aligned with their political party on Election Day. Why? The party associations may have been top of mind.

Any school, group or organization that would like to host a Badger Talk, either in person or online, email here or request a speaker online at badgertalks.wisc.edu.

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Everything from the cheese club to UW-La Crosse athletics teams is taking part in year seven of “One Day,” beginning Tuesday across campus.

Lauren Wanders, UW-L’s strategic giving programs manager, was in studio to talk about the 24-hour event, which gives alumni, students, employees and community members a chance to support more than 200 campus causes.

One Day for UWL raised a record $622,000 last year, bringing the total raised over its first six years to more than $2.2 million. This year, the goal is 1,909 gifts — a nod to the university’s founding year. Reaching that number unlocks additional funding for the UWL Fund, which supports scholarships and the university’s greatest needs.

One Day for UWL runs from 9 a.m. Tuesday to 9 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21. To browse campus causes, find matching gifts and make a donation, visit the One Day for UWL website.

Conversation highlights:

• A $62,000 challenge for UW-L football: A former player from the class of 1962 is challenging 62 people to donate to football. If they do, he’ll establish a $62,000 endowment for the program.

• Which campus groups get creative? Wanders gives Murphy Library a shoutout for its fundraising videos and sidewalk chalk, and talks about the friendly competition between campus groups.

• A first-time fundraising opportunity: The Health Science Interprofessional Research Center is participating in One Day for the first time. Wanders explains the community-based research and programming the center supports.

• Students and community: Wanders explains how UW-L’s community-engaged learning program connects students with local businesses and civic organizations, giving students hands-on experience while helping community groups. Mid City Steel is offering a matching gift to support the program.

• The competition goes beyond athletics: The gymnastics team has been successful at raising money, but last year the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences out-raised the College of Business Administration.

• Pancakes at 2 a.m.? Wanders pitches a late-night pancake event as one possibility for getting students involved in future One Day celebrations.

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La Crosse is facing a choice: raise property taxes or use city reserves to cover a $681,000 budget shortfall.

Mac Kiel stopped in studio Friday to break down the trade-offs, what budget cuts could mean for city services and why the decision isn't as simple as it might seem.

We also discussed the city administrator proposal being back for a potential third vote, and that opposition to La Crosse's Flock cameras raises questions about the city's contract and who has access to the data.

• Raise taxes or use reserves? The Board of Estimates recommended one of two options to close the budget gap. Kiel explains the arguments for each and what taxpayers should consider.
• What do the budget cuts mean for city services? Departments have already made cuts, including staffing reductions. Could residents eventually see slower snowplowing, fewer services or other changes?
• City administrator is back: What might change the outcome this time, and what questions remain, and could the mayor offer something else?
• City services declining: Kiel looks at the limits on local revenue, state shared revenue and why decisions in Madison have consequences for city budgets.
• What's next for Flock cameras? The city has an $8,000 line item for the camera system next year, but questions remain about contract termination costs, data access and whether the city has alternatives.

Kiel is a former La Crosse City Council member, who is an advocate for providing the public with what is happening with city government. She also serves on some city boards and works with the unsheltered population.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.