Kirsten Smythe, from left, Morgan Ellena of LaSalle and Jordan Thorton of Bradley carry their depart for the Orange Bowl Sunday from the theConvocation Center in DeKalb. Mary Beth Nolan~For Sun-Times Media
Northern Illinois University fans depart the Convocation Center for the Orange Bowl. The Huskies take on Florida State on New Year's Day. Mary Beth Nolan~For Sun-Times Media
NIU seniors Mashiah Williams (left) and Chanita Pratt-England, both of Chicago, show off their Huskie wear. | Denise Moran ~ For Sun-Times Media
A fiberglass NIU Huskie sports an orange on his hat to celebrate the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl in Miami. | Denise Moran ~ For Sun-Times Media
NIU junior Zach Fiegel of Harvard is ready to travel so he can watch the Huskies play the Seminoles in Florida. | Denise Moran ~ For Sun-Times Media
Teresa Scharp of NIU Media Services (center) gives a hug to NIU students Julianna Kallstrom of Rockford (left) and Dalia Hollins of Chicago before they leave for Miami. | Denise Moran ~ For Sun-Times Media
Recent Northern Illinois University graduate Wenjing Li of China gets ready to board the bus to Miami. | Denise Moran ~ For Sun-Times Media
DeKALB — Twenty-six buses filled with 1,300 Northern Illinois University students and more than 50 trip advisers pulled out of the university’s Convocation Center on Sunday morning to begin the 23-hour trip to the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl in Miami, Fla. The NIU Huskies are …
