It’s recess Monday, and to celebrate, HOH sat down with Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) to talk about the Last Frontier and its hockey, sledding and foremost painter.

Q: Alaska doesn’t have a major league professional sports team. If you could create one, which sport would it be and what would you name them?

A: Alaska doesn’t have a major league professional sports team, but we have an exceptional ECHL [minor league] hockey team called the Alaska Aces. We also have the [Alaska Baseball League], which brings the best college players from around the country to play in our state under the midnight sun every summer. If we were going to create a professional team, it would probably be hockey. I think a great name would be “the Alaska Pipelines.” However, these days, I pay the most attention to whatever sport my son Jacob is playing.

Q: Pepsi or Coca-Cola?  

A: Either one — just not diet!

Q: What is your favorite movie of all time? 

A: My favorite movie of all time is “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s a great family film about trust, hope and perseverance. And the good guy wins in the end.

Q: As a child, what was your favorite Alaskan pastime?

A: My favorite Alaska pastime as a child was sledding. Alaska has incredible sledding hills with plenty of snow each winter. We would get quite creative, building our own hills and jumps — right in our own backyard.

Q: The Anchorage Museum went through an expansion in 2010. Do you visit often? What are some of your favorite exhibits or pieces of art?

A: I was mayor of Anchorage when the museum expansion was being planned, and I have long been a supporter of the project and the museum. Some of my favorite exhibits are the history of the Alaska Native people and their culture. The museum also has an incredible collection of Sydney Laurence paintings. It really is a world-class museum with some extraordinary exhibits.