Matthew,
First, get in touch with your university's ham radio club...
If there isn't one there, check out the WPIWA (Worcester Polytechnic Institue Wireless Association)
in Worcester, MA (duh!!)(that's where I went to school)
Their call is W1YK... They have a wesite..
www.wpi.edu/~wpiwa/They're a bit "odd" (engineering students mostly) hi hi
Now for some quick ideas... Don't just take that "don't mess with screens" stuff... remove the screen carefully and you'll be able to slip a wire out
(and replace the screen)... use a VERY small wire.
Try a small (24ga) spaeker wire or a small (28ga) magnet wire... run it up (or down, depending on what floor you're on...) Keep it small and no one will ever
see it... (if you're paranoid about, it pull it inside
when not using it... cutting/drilling a SMALL hole in the frame helps) Use a antenna tuner and you'll have a broadband antenna....
You could also load up a downspout, etc...
I wire antenna can als work well fro 2m!!!
Hang a 1/4 wavelength (~19") of wire out the window and
connect it to the coax center / connect the coax shield
to the metal frame of the window (or screen)...
Try to get the wire away from the wall a bit, and it will work fine...
Fishing line works good for support/stand-off....
In door antennas work BUT OUTDOOR ANTENNA ARE BETTER!!!
Good Luck!!!
73, John
KA4WJA