The Intramural boxing tournament began yesterday with a rash of forfeits which brought to public attention once again the question whether boxing should be included in the Intramural program.

An eight-person Lowell House contingent led by Sandy Wallace and Roann Costin, the first two women ever to appear in the tournament, headed the protest against boxing. Seven of the eight Lowell people forfeited their matches.

Ironically, Costin, who before her match tried to voice her opposition to the inclusion of boxing before being drowned out by the irate crowd, was the only Lowell person to advance to Wednesday's finals. Costin won her bout when another Lowell "fighter," Phil Youngman, forfeited. She will face Winthrop's Mike Bernick in the 130-pound final.

"We tried to make people sit back and think what boxing is really saying," Costin said last night. "Boxing's intent is to deliberately maim. It upsets me that we can justify brutality through the veneer of referees and rules."

Reaction to the protest was varied. The crowd at the IAB was hostile during Costin's abortive speech and, according to Bernick, "she was bombarded with obscenities."

Bernick, speaking of his upcoming bout with Costin, said yesterday, "I won't hit her. I'm looking for someone else to fight an exhibition with."

Not everyone had as pacifistic a reaction as Bernick. "Nobody's being forced to enter," Adams House's Terry Valenzuela said last night. "If they don't like the tournament, they can get the fuck out of there."